IPL 2026 Auction Countdown: Who Will Stay, Who Will Go? Find Out Now

The Indian Premier League (IPL), the top cricket competition in India, is all set to enter the phase of talent retention as the franchises get ready for the IPL 2026 auction. The teams' official deadline to submit their player retention lists is November 15, 2025. After that, the teams can swap or trade players before the mini-auction, which is likely to occur in the middle of December.

The teams of Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans, and Delhi Capitals are expected to keep most of their core players while Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are thinking of creating big changes in their squad after their unsuccessful run in IPL 2025.

November 15 is the cut-off date when IPL franchises have to declare the players they want to keep and those they are releasing. During the mini-draft in the same period between December 13 and 15, teams will not only have the chance to fill the gaps in their rosters, but they will also be able to bring in new talent, thereby making their squads more refined. Unlike earlier years, IPL 2026 has abolished the retention limit for the number of players the franchises can retain, thanks to the mega-auction of 2025. However, the total number of players in the squad and the salary limit of around Rs 120 crore are still in place.

The franchises are free to keep any number of capped Indian, uncapped, and overseas players without any restriction. While retention is at the discretion of the franchises, they must take into account the number of players in the squad, player functions, and auction budget distribution among them to compete in the bidding war. The organizer's flexibility has given birth to the pre-auction intense speculation and strategic planning.

Trade discussions are getting hotter just before the retention deadline. The swap between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals is of most interest, where Sanju Samson is said to be CSK's new player in return for Ravindra Jadeja, plus one more player to even the bargain. CSK is very careful not to give up anyone important like Jadeja or Ruturaj Gaikwad. There are other trades too where KL Rahul is said to be switching clubs between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals, showing the elaborate tactics teams are using.

Mini-Auction Outlook

The IPL 2026 mini-auction will be an Indian affair again after two years in other countries, and the event will likely be held in Mumbai. The franchises will have to bat, bowl, and all-rounder shortages filled up. The auction will also be the showcasing of up-and-coming local players, thus offering franchises a chance to augment their squads while remaining within the salary limit.

Team-Wise Retention and Expected Releases

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – CSK intends to keep its Indian core and key bowlers while letting go of overseas veterans and underperformers. Departures Expected: Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, Devon Conway, R Ashwin (retired).

Delhi Capitals (DC) – Delhi wants to get rid of expensive or inconsistent overseas players, especially pacers, to make room for more reliable options. Releases expected: Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, Ajay Mandal, T Natarajan, Mitchell Starc (possible), Mukesh Kumar.

Gujarat Titans (GT) – Concerning the recruitment of younger local players, Gujarat is expected to send off several overseas all-rounders and fringe players. The list of expected releases includes: Karim Janat, Rahul Tewatia, Gerald Coetzee, Jayant Yadav, Kulwant Khejroliya, Manav Suthar, Kumar Khushagra, Dasun Shanaka, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – KKR is going to get rid of the players who did not perform well and also hire some new players for the roles of wicket-keeping and all-rounder. Players such as Venkatesh Iyer, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Spencer Johnson, and Ramandeep Singh are being mentioned as the ones to be released.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – The injuries together with the lack of consistency from the fast bowlers might force the team to release a few players. Among the players expected to leave are Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, David Miller, and Shamar Joseph.

Mumbai Indians (MI) – MI’s plan is to get rid of the not-so-good domestic and overseas players to have more money for the targeted purchases. The players who are expected to be released are Tristan Stubbs, Raghav Goyal, Piyush Chawla, Sandeep Warrier, and Vishnu Vinod.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) – The Kings might have a great 2025 and still be in a position to cut down the team size especially when it comes to foreign players in order to beef up the spin and middle-order batting departments. The players that are likely to be let go include Lockie Ferguson, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, and Azmatullah Omarzai.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) – The focus of the Rajasthan franchise is to new leader, re-building the team around him, and reinforcing the middle-order. Among the players expected to leave are Sanju Samson (requested trade), Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashok Sharma, Kunal Rathore, Kumar Kartikeya, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) – RCB will probably not release too many players but will do it in a way that will not disturb team balance and at the same time will make it easier to improve the areas of bowling and all-rounders. Players such as Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Salam, Lungi Ngidi, Tim Seifert, and Nuwan Thushara, along with Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, and Mohit Rathee are expected to be released.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – Hyderabad is going to change their bowling completely, letting go of the ones who are either experienced or inconsistent as a way to compute the resources for the strong acquisitions. The players who might be released include Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhinav Manohar, Harshal Patel, Sachin Baby, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, and Adam Zampa.