IPL 2026 Retained and Released Players LIVE Updates: Will Ishan Kishan Return to Mumbai Indians? Sanju Samson Likely to Leave Rajasthan Royals
IPL 2026 retained and released players LIVE: Sanju Samson likely to leave RR, Ishan Kishan may return to Mumbai Indians. Latest IPL trade and auction updates.
Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are at the centre of major transfer buzz ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
The excitement has reached a fever pitch for the IPL 2026 mini-auction, with multiple reports suggesting some major player movements across franchises. The bigger buzz now revolves around Sanju Samson, who is reportedly leaving RR despite all those changes being made in the backroom staff.
Reportedly, for the franchise, Samson has already given his word that he wants to part ways. Sources also hint that the move to prepare the three-time IPL champions for the forthcoming season might be towards Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ishan Kishan's Future - Is He Coming Back to Mumbai Indians?
Yet another burning issue is the possible return of Ishan Kishan to Mumbai Indians (MI). Kishan, who had been bought for ₹11.25 crore by SRH in the IPL 2025 mega-auction, could not really hit by scorching performances last season, 354 runs in just 13 innings, after his debut ton. It is said that MI are heading the bandwagon to see if Kishan can be brought back via a trade, with SRH unlikely to just let him go unless they get some good players in return.
Big Coaching Changes
A whole bunch of changes to the coaching staff has happened through the winter.
Lucknow Super Giants brought in Bharat Arun to replace Zaheer Khan as the bowling coach.
Kolkata Knight Riders promoted Abhishek Nayar to head coach after Chandrakant Pandit quit his post.
Punjab Sluggers replaced Sunil Joshi with Sairaj Bahutule as spin-bowling coach.
Rahul Dravid's second stint as Rajasthan Royals' coach lasted just one season; Kumar Sangakkara resumed his charge after that.
Player Rumours and Player Updates
Washington Sundar is set to stay with Gujarat Titans (GT), putting a stop to rumours of a transfer to CSK.
KL Rahul's trade to KKR is having several lows before it could ever materialize, suggesting he may stay with Delhi Capitals (DC).
Sunrisers Hyderabad might retain Mohammed Shami but could consider releasing Heinrich Klaasen, who was retained for ₹23 crore last year.
Other Major Highlights
Today being Virat Kohli's birthday, it should be noted that Kohli is the only player who has represented one franchise — RCB — since the league began in 2008.
Rishabh Pant remains the most expensive IPL player, having been bought by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 Crore in 2025.
The mini-auction for IPL 2026 is set to be a one-day affair held in December, potentially overseas. Franchises will submit their lists of players retained and released by the end of this month.
Stay tuned for live updates pertaining to the retained and released players in IPL 2026, trade rumours, and official BCCI announcements.
