RR IPL 2026 Retention List: Rajasthan Royals Announce Full List of Retained and Released Players Ahead of Mega Auction
Rajasthan Royals have announced their IPL 2026 retention list with major squad changes, including the blockbuster trade of Sanju Samson to CSK in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. RR head into the mega auction with ₹16.05 crore and nine slots to fill.
Rajasthan Royals unveil their IPL 2026 retained and released players list, featuring the high-profile Samson–Jadeja trade ahead of the mega auction.
Rajasthan Royals have confirmed their entire roster of players that have been kept as well as those released prior to the IPL 2026 mega auction, thereby indicating one of their most remarkable team changes in recent years. The league's most significant trade with Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson has made this point discussionable, as it is the leading topic around the auction.
In a major move, long-time RR captain and star batter Sanju Samson has been traded to Chennai Super Kings, ending his long association with the franchise. In exchange, RR have acquired CSK icon Ravindra Jadeja along with England all-rounder Sam Curran. Samson will continue in the league at his existing ₹18 crore fee, while Jadeja’s contract has been revised to ₹14 crore. Curran joins RR at his current fee of ₹2.4 crore.
The Royals have also completed another trade, sending left-handed batter Nitish Rana to Delhi Capitals. In return, South African all-rounder Donovan Ferreira joins RR—his first stint with the Jaipur-based franchise. Rana retains his ₹4.2 crore valuation, while Ferreira’s fee has been revised from ₹75 lakh to ₹1 crore.
Released Players
Kunal Rathore
Nitish Rana (traded to DC)
Sanju Samson (traded to CSK)
Wanindu Hasaranga
Maheesh Theekshana
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Ashok Sharma
Kumar Kartikeya
Akash Madhwal
Retained Players
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Luhandre Pretorius, Shubham Dube, Donovan Ferreira (from DC), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja (from CSK), Sam Curran, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Kewna Maphaka, Yudhvir Singh.
Rajasthan Royals will have ₹16.05 crore left for the IPL 2026 mega auction, and they will also have nine vacant squad slots and one overseas player position to fill. The team, which ended up in ninth place in IPL 2025 and had a disappointing season, is going to rebuild around its new core.
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