The IPL 2026 retention deadline has brought blockbuster trades and squad shake-ups ahead of the mini-auction. In this guide, we break down the latest IPL 2026 retention list and team changes for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). We cover which players each team retained or released, highlight major trades, and analyze how these moves shape the race for the upcoming season. Fans can see which core line-ups remain intact and which franchises are rebuilding their squads.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – Major Overhaul and Rebuild
Chennai Super Kings stunned fans by drastically reshaping their squad. CSK traded veterans Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals and brought in Sanju Samson as a marquee signing. The franchise also released a number of big names (Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, etc.) to open up space. Despite the churn, CSK retained a balanced core of stars and emerging talent. Captain MS Dhoni and opener Ruturaj Gaikwad remain the batting anchors. Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis continue to add all-round strength. With a strong leadership duo of Dhoni and Gaikwad and a deep bowling pool (Khaleel Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Nathan Ellis), CSK heads into the auction with one of the richest purses.
Retained players (CSK):
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- MS Dhoni
- Ayush Mhatre
- Dewald Brevis
- Urvil Patel
- Shivam Dube
- Jamie Overton
- Ramakrishna Ghosh
- Noor Ahmad
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Anshul Kamboj
- Gurjapneet Singh
- Nathan Ellis
- Shreyas Gopal
- Mukesh Choudhary
Released players (CSK):
- Ravindra Jadeja (traded out)
- Sam Curran (traded out)
- Rachin Ravindra
- Devon Conway
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Kamlesh Nagarkoti
- Shaik Rasheed
- Deepak Hooda
- Vijay Shankar
- Andre Siddarth
- Rahul Tripathi
- Vansh Bedi
Trades (CSK):
- Incoming: Sanju Samson (from RR)
- Outgoing: Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran
Mumbai Indians (MI) – Core Sticks, New Talents Added
Mumbai Indians opted for stability at the top while injecting fresh talent into the squad. MI retained captain Hardik Pandya and superstar Rohit Sharma, along with key batsmen Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. The pace battery again features Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. To bolster the batting, MI secured English all-rounder Will Jacks and promising Indian fast bowler Gurjapneet Singh. They also traded for Sherfane Rutherford and spinner Mayank Markande, adding depth. Several fringe players were released, and Arjun Tendulkar was traded away, trimming excess. Despite a lean auction purse, Mumbai keeps a well-rounded unit blending experience and youth, positioning themselves for smart buys in the mini-auction.
Retained players (MI):
- Hardik Pandya (c)
- Rohit Sharma
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Robin Minz
- Ryan Rickelton
- Naman Dhir
- Mitchell Santner
- Will Jacks
- Corbin Bosch
- Raj Bawa
- Trent Boult
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Deepak Chahar
- Ashwani Kumar
- Raghu Sharma
- AM Ghazanfar
Released players (MI):
- Satyanarayana Raju
- Reece Topley
- KL Shrijith
- Karn Sharma
- Bevon Jacobs
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Lizaad Williams
- Vignesh Puthur
- Arjun Tendulkar (traded out)
Trades (MI):
- Incoming: Shardul Thakur (from LSG), Sherfane Rutherford (from GT), Mayank Markande (from KKR)
- Outgoing: Arjun Tendulkar
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) – Core Retained, Overseas Changes
RCB largely stuck with the title-winning core from last season. Captain Virat Kohli stays on as the batting mainstay, joined by Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, and dynamic all-rounders Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd. The strong spin and pace lineup was also kept intact, featuring Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and left-armer Yash Dayal (who remains despite a long layoff). To manage their budget, RCB released overseas players like Liam Livingstone and Lungi Ngidi. Their strategy was to keep batting firepower and experienced bowlers while eyeing strategic auction buys. RCB heads into the mini-auction with ample room to reinforce specific slots, especially in the seam department and middle order.
Retained players (RCB):
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Virat Kohli
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Phil Salt
- Jitesh Sharma
- Krunal Pandya
- Swapnil Singh
- Tim David
- Romario Shepherd
- Jacob Bethell
- Josh Hazlewood
- Yash Dayal
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Nuwan Thushara
- Rasikh Salam
- Abhinandan Singh
- Suyash Sharma
Released players (RCB):
- Liam Livingstone
- Swastik Chikara
- Mayank Agarwal
- Tim Seifert
- Manoj Bhandage
- Lungi Ngidi
- Blessing Muzarabani
- Mohit Rathee
Trades (RCB):
- Incoming: (None announced)
- Outgoing: (No major trades reported)
Rajasthan Royals (RR) – Major Reset and Youth Core
Rajasthan Royals completely retooled their squad this window. They traded long-time captain Sanju Samson (to CSK) and Nitish Rana away, while releasing overseas spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Mahesh Theekshana. To rebuild, RR made headline moves by acquiring Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from CSK and Donovan Ferreira from Delhi Capitals. Despite the overhaul, RR preserved a strong core of young Indian talent: openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag, wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, and pacer Sandeep Sharma. They also kept key overseas players Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Kwena Maphaka. The amalgamation of Jadeja-Curran’s all-round firepower with RR’s solid youth contingent gives the Royals a refreshed identity. They enter the auction with plenty of budget and target the remaining overseas slots to balance their lineup.
Retained players (RR):
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Riyan Parag
- Dhruv Jurel (wk)
- Sandeep Sharma
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi
- Shubham Dubey
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius
- Donovan Ferreira (traded in)
- Ravindra Jadeja (traded in)
- Sam Curran (traded in)
- Jofra Archer
- Nandre Burger
- Tushar Deshpande
- Kwena Maphaka
- Yudhvir Singh
Released players (RR):
- Sanju Samson (traded out)
- Nitish Rana (traded out)
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Mahesh Theekshana
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Akash Madhwal
- Kumar Kartikeya
- Ashok Sharma
- Kunal Singh Rathore
Trades (RR):
- Incoming: Ravindra Jadeja (from CSK), Sam Curran (from CSK), Donovan Ferreira (from DC)
- Outgoing: Sanju Samson (to CSK), Nitish Rana (to DC)
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – Mixed Adjustments
Lucknow Super Giants made several notable changes while maintaining their core batting. They released veteran batsman David Miller and young quick Shamar Joseph, among others (Akash Deep, Ravi Bishnoi). LSG strengthened their bowling by bringing back Mohammed Shami via trade from SRH, reuniting him with home-state franchise and coach Bharat Arun. At the top of the order, skipper KL Rahul and explosive all-rounder Nicholas Pooran remain pivotal (though note Rahul is in Delhi now, and LSG's captain is Mayank Yadav and Ayush Badoni). Key batsmen like Quinton de Kock and Ayush Badoni (listed retained) anchor the lineup. They reaffirmed faith in rising pacer Mayank Yadav despite his injury history. The retained list shows they’ve kept international stars such as Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Rishabh Pant. With the balance of firepower and pace, LSG will look to be aggressive in the final squad build-up.
Retained players (LSG):
- Abdul Samad
- Ayush Badoni
- Aiden Markram
- Himmat Singh
- Matthew Breetzke
- Rishabh Pant
- Nicholas Pooran
- Mitchell Marsh
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Arshin Kulkarni
- Arjun Tendulkar
- Mohammed Shami
- Mayank Yadav
- Avesh Khan
- Digvesh Singh Rathi
- Mohsin Khan
- M Siddharth
- Prince Yadav
- Akash Singh
Released players (LSG):
- Shardul Thakur
- David Miller
- Aryan Juyal
- Yuvraj Chaudhary
- Rajvardhan Hangargekar
- Shamar Joseph
- Akash Deep
- Ravi Bishnoi
Trades (LSG):
- Incoming: Mohammed Shami (from SRH)
- Outgoing: Shardul Thakur (to MI)
FAQs
Q: What is an IPL retention list?
A: The IPL retention list is the roster of players each franchise chooses to keep from its previous season’s squad. Ahead of the 2026 mini auction, teams publicly announce the retained players they want to hold onto and the released players they free up for auction. Retaining a player secures his services under the salary cap rules, while released players re-enter the auction pool or can be traded.
Q: How do trades work in the IPL?
A: Before the retention deadline, teams can negotiate trades to swap players with other franchises. These trades can involve cash or player exchanges. For example, CSK traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to RR, while receiving Sanju Samson. Trades allow teams to target specific strengths or balance budgets without waiting for the auction. Traded players usually count as part of the receiving team’s retained/traded-in list.
Q: Who were the biggest trade headline-makers in IPL 2026?
A: The most talked-about move was Jadeja and Curran to RR for Samson to CSK. Other major trades include Shardul Thakur moving from LSG to MI, Mohammed Shami returning to LSG from SRH, and MI acquiring Sherfane Rutherford and Mayank Markande from GT and KKR. These blockbuster swaps reshuffled several team identities ahead of the auction.
Q: Which key players were retained by CSK, MI, RCB, RR, and LSG?
A: Each of these teams held onto their core stars. CSK kept MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube; MI retained Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Will Jacks; RCB kept Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, etc.; RR held Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (and added Jadeja, Curran); LSG kept players like Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh and others. These retained cores will form the spine of each squad in IPL 2026.
Q: When will the IPL 2026 mini-auction take place?
A: The IPL mini-auction for the 2026 season is expected to be held in December 2025. It will give teams a final chance to fill squad slots left after retention and trades. With purse balances noted (for example, CSK and RR have large war chests), franchises will eye the auction to complete their balanced squads with remaining local and overseas talents.
Conclusion
The IPL 2026 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting yet, with top teams recalibrating their line-ups and chasing fresh momentum. Fans of CSK, MI, RCB, RR, and LSG have plenty to cheer: Dhoni’s return at CSK, Rohit’s MI mix of youth and experience, Kohli’s RCB holding strong, RR’s new era under Jadeja and Curran, and LSG’s explosive batting unit (with Pant and Markram). Each franchise has balanced retaining core players with bold releases and eye-catching trades. As the countdown to the auction begins, superfans can debate how these changes will play out on the field. Stay tuned for the mini-auction and the full IPL 2026 squads – every retained player and trade decision has set the stage for thrilling battles in the world’s richest T20 league.
