With the IPL 2026 retention deadline set for November 15, 2025, and the mini-auction scheduled for December 13–15, 2025, all 10 franchises are in the thick of their squad evaluations.
Since this is a mini-auction year, teams can retain unlimited players (within squad size limits) while staying under the ₹151 crore salary cap, focusing on tactical tweaks rather than complete overhauls.
Below is a team-wise breakdown of potential retentions and releases, based on recent reports, expert opinions, and media speculation.
All information is unconfirmed and may change as trade discussions progress.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
CSK’s underwhelming IPL 2025 season could trigger a partial rebuild around senior players. MS Dhoni’s participation remains uncertain but is likely if he opts to play one final season.o
Expected Purse: ₹20–25 crore after releases.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | MS Dhoni (if playing), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Noor Ahmad, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Rachin Ravindra, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Nathan Ellis |
| Potential Released | Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, Sam Curran, Rahul Tripathi, Andre Siddarth, Vijay Shankar, Anshul Kamboj, R. Ashwin (retired; frees ₹9.75 crore) |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Fresh off their IPL 2025 title win, RCB are set to retain their core group, focusing only on minor tweaks.
Expected Purse: ₹15–20 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Phil Salt, Krunal Pandya, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvesh Kumar, Tim David, Romario Shepherd,Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma |
| Potential Released | Liam Livingstone (underperformed despite big price), Mayank Agarwal, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani, Rasikh Dar, Tim Seifert, Abhinandan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Swapnil Singh, Manoj Bhandage |
Mumbai Indians (MI)
MI aim to regain consistency under Hardik Pandya’s leadership, after reaching the Qualifier 2 in IPL 2025.
Expected Purse: ₹10–15 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Vignesh Puthur, Ryan Rickelton |
| Potential Released | Deepak Chahar, Raj Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman |
Delhi Capitals (DC)
DC focus on youth and balance, likely trimming older or inconsistent overseas options. Their mini-auction targets: quality all-rounders and consistent openers.
Expected Purse: ₹20–25 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Axar Patel (c), Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Mukesh Kumar, Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Vipraj Nigam, Abishek Porel, Mitchell Starc |
| Potential Released | Faf du Plessis, Mohit Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk, T Natarajan, Dushmantha Chameera, L Manvanth Kumar, Madhav Tiwari, Darshan Nalkande |
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
KKR look to strengthen their middle order while maintaining their proven spin trio. Venkatesh Iyer, despite trade rumors, remains key at ₹23.75 crore.
Expected Purse: ₹20–25 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh |
| Potential Released | Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Rovman Powell, Moeen Ali (if prioritizing Nortje), Luvnith Sisodia, Chetan Sakariya, Quinton de Kock (trade buzz) |
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Led by Shubman Gill, the team continues to rely on its strong top order featuring Sai Sudharsan, while focusing on strengthening their pace and middle-order combinations for greater balance.
Expected Purse: ₹18–22 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Shubman Gill (c), Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee, Glenn Phillips, Arshad Khan, Sherfane Rutherford |
| Potential Released | Shahrukh Khan (Trade), Washington Sundar (Trade), Kumar Kushagra, Kulwant Khejroliya |
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
LSG’s 2025 season was hampered by inconsistent bowling. Their upcoming strategy will likely prioritize overseas fast bowlers.
Expected Purse: ₹15–20 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishoni, Abdul Samad, Mayanak Yadav |
| Potential Released | David Miller, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph |
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
SRH aim to stabilize their top order while maintaining a balanced bowling lineup. However, Mohammed Shami’s future remains uncertain.
Expected Purse: ₹20 – 23 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Pat Cummins (c), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Harsh Dubey, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, |
| Potential Released | Mohammed Shami (lost pace), Rahul Chahar, Ishan Kishan (release rumored for budget reasons), Wiaan Mulder, Sachin Baby. |
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Rajasthan Royals are set for a major reshuffle ahead of IPL 2026, with Sanju Samson released after leading the team for several seasons. The franchise is expected to rebuild around Yashasvi Jaiswal and other young talents while targeting a new captain and marquee batter in the auction.
Expected Purse: ₹25–30 crore.
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Shirmon Hetmyer, Dhrul Jurel, Riyan Parag, Jorfa Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Kumar Kartikeya, Shubham Dubey. |
| Potential Released | Sanju Samson (c), Nandre Burger, Kwena Maphaka, Maheesh Theekshana. |
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
PBKS are expected to stick with their young domestic group while saving funds for the next mega auction cycle (IPL 2027).
Expected Purse: Minimal (budget reserved for next cycle).
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Potential Retained | Shreyas Iyer (c), Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Priyansh Arya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar. |
| Potential Released | Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Sen, Kyle Jamieson, Aaron Hardie, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey. |
