The IPL 2026 retention phase has been marked by bold moves and strategic recalibrations as franchises prepare for the mid-December mini-auction.
A total of 173 players were retained by the ten teams, with
many franchises making significant releases to free up purse space and plug squad gaps.
Notably, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took decisive steps, releasing big names like Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer to head into the auction with strong purses of Rs 64.3 crore, positioning themselves for a major squad overhaul.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have traded Ravindra Jadeja for Sanju Samson, while Rajasthan Royals (RR) look to rebuild their bowling and add muscle to their lineup after trading away Sanju Samson. Other franchises like Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained core players to maintain stability but also kept decent purse space for targeted buys.
The IPL 2026 retention rules allowed teams to retain up to 16 players (maximum 8 overseas) within a Rs 120 crore salary cap, encouraging a balance between maintaining a solid core and flexible auction spending. This exercise highlights franchise strategies ranging from rebuilding to fine-tuning, setting the stage for a fiercely competitive mini-auction and season ahead.
As there have been some interesting releases, teams have also raised the eybrows with some of the retentions in this IPL 2026 edition. In this article, we shall take a look at those who may consider themselves lucky to be still with their team.
T Natarajan (Delhi Capitals)
T Natarajan was supposed to be released but the Delhi Capitals have kept him for next season. The left-arm pacer cost Rs 10.75 crore and played just two matches last season, without a wicket in any of them. Injury issues troubled him, and despite that, DC have shown faith in the Tamil Nadu pacer. As per Hemang Badani, Natarajan has gained rhythm and is expected to return to his best for the Capitals in IPL 2026.
Mayank Yadav (Lucknow Super Giants)
Although Mayank Yadav promises a lot, the LSG youngster has found himself struggling with injuries. The pacer played twice for LSG in IPL 2025 and then got ruled out for the season. With a heavy price tag of Rs 11 crore, Mayank's retention demonstrates the faith from the franchise, but the upcoming season maybe his final opportunity.
Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals)
Shimron Hetmyer continues to have the backing from RR, despite having another subpar season in 2025. The West Indies player scored 239 runs at an average of 21 and a strike rate of 145, not the best from a Rs 11 crore player. But with Samson gone, RR have kept faith in him and IPL 2026 should be a season where Hetmyer is ought to repay his franchise.
Rasikh Dar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
Rasikh Dar was sold for Rs 6 crore to RCB in the mega auction. Despite having a reputation from his Delhi Capitals days, Rasikh failed to make any impact for the Bengaluru side, playing just 2 matches for them. He has been underwhelming in the domestic cricket for his new team Baroda as well, picking just 6 wickets in three matches. Hence the backing from RCB will be a big boost for Rasikh.
