The franchises have finalized their lists of retained, released, and traded players ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, setting the stage for an exciting event on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. A total of 173 players have been retained across all teams, including 49 overseas players, leaving 77 slots to be filled at the auction. The total combined purse available for the auction is ₹237.55 crore.
Key Trades and Releases
Several high-profile trades and releases have shaken up team compositions. The most notable trades include:
- Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals (RR) to Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from CSK to RR
- Mohammed Shami from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Some of the biggest releases include Andre Russell from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Matheesha Pathirana from CSK.
Team-wise Analysis
Here’s a breakdown of each team's situation, considering retained players, releases, trades, purse remaining, and slots available:
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Key Retentions: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), MS Dhoni
- Notable Trades In: Sanju Samson
- Notable Trades Out: Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran
- Notable Releases: Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway
- Purse Remaining: ₹43.4 crore
- Slots Available: Second highest after KKR
CSK has undergone a significant transformation, highlighted by the trade of Jadeja and Curran for Samson. The team will be looking to rebuild its bowling attack at the auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Key Retentions: Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rinku Singh
- Notable Releases: Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer
- Purse Remaining: ₹64.3 crore
- Slots Available: 13 (including 6 overseas)
KKR's decision to release Andre Russell marks the end of a decade-long association. With the largest purse available, KKR is expected to pursue a major squad overhaul.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Key Retentions: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
- Notable Trades In: Shardul Thakur
- Notable Trades Out: Arjun Tendulkar
- Purse Remaining: ₹2.75 Cr
- Slots Available: 5 (including 1 overseas)
MI has focused on retaining its core players and has limited slots to fill at the auction.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
- Key Retentions: Virat Kohli
- Notable Releases: Liam Livingstone
- Purse Remaining: ₹16.4 crore
- Slots Available: Not Specified
The reigning champions have retained a significant portion of their title-winning squad, indicating confidence in their core team.
Other Teams
- Delhi Capitals (DC): Retained Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, traded for Nitish Rana, released Faf du Plessis. Purse: ₹21.8 crore, Slots: 8 (including 4 overseas).
- Gujarat Titans (GT): Retained Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan, released David Miller. Purse: ₹12.90 Cr, Slots: 6 (including 5 overseas).
- Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Traded for Mohammed Shami, released Ravi Bishnoi.
- Punjab Kings (PBKS): Retained the most players with 21.
- Rajasthan Royals (RR): Traded for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, released Sanju Samson. Purse: ₹16.05 Cr, Slots: 9 (including 1 overseas).
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Traded Mohammed Shami to LSG.
The IPL 2026 mini-auction promises to be an exciting event, with several teams looking to revamp their squads and fill crucial slots. The strategic decisions made by each franchise will be critical in shaping their fortunes for the upcoming season.
