The Indian Premier League is set to hold its nineteenth edition in 2026, with the auction scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. All ten franchises have finalized their retention and release lists ahead of the mini auction. Since its inception in 2008, when Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural title under Shane Warne, the tournament has grown into a major spectacle. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians remain the most successful teams with five titles each, while Kolkata Knight Riders have claimed three championships. Teams have retained key players while releasing others to optimize their squads and budgets. Notable retentions include MS Dhoni with Chennai Super Kings, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah with Mumbai Indians, Virat Kohli with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Rishabh Pant with Lucknow Super Giants. Several high-profile trades have occurred, most notably Chennai Super Kings acquiring Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Multiple all-cash deals have also been completed for players like Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, and Arjun Tendulkar, reshaping team compositions for the upcoming season.
Major Player Retentions and Trades Across Franchises
The retention period saw franchises secure their core players while making strategic releases. Mumbai Indians retained their leadership trio of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, adding Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford through trades. Chennai Super Kings made headlines by acquiring Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, giving up Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in return. Lucknow Super Giants secured Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran, while Gujarat Titans kept Shubman Gill as their captain. Delhi Capitals retained KL Rahul alongside Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. Punjab Kings brought in Shreyas Iyer and Yuzvendra Chahal, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru held onto Virat Kohli. Kolkata Knight Riders surprisingly released Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer, keeping Rinku Singh and Sunil Narine instead.
Auction Budgets and Squad Composition Details
Kolkata Knight Riders enter the auction with the highest remaining purse of 64.3 crore rupees after retaining just 12 players and releasing 10, including key names. Chennai Super Kings have 43.4 crore available after keeping 16 players. Sunrisers Hyderabad retained 15 players including Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Pat Cummins, leaving them with 25.50 crore. Mumbai Indians have the smallest budget of just 2.75 crore after retaining 18 players. Delhi Capitals kept 16 players with 21.80 crore remaining, while Rajasthan Royals have 16.05 crore after retaining 17 players. Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans retained 19 players each, with budgets of 11.50 crore and 12.9 crore respectively. Lucknow Super Giants also kept 19 players, maintaining 22.95 crore for the auction.
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