The IPL 2026 auction is scheduled to take place on December 16, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the auction, all 10 IPL franchises have announced their list of retained and released players.
So far, a total of 173 players have been retained, including 49 foreign players, leaving teams with a combined purse to buy approximately 77 players during the auction.
Each team can have a maximum squad size of 25 players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) enter the auction with the largest remaining purses, poised to wage a bidding battle. KKR
The retention window has seen several trades and releases to create room for new players at the auction. For instance, Rajasthan Royals' Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings, while Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moved to Rajasthan Royals. KKR released high-profile players including Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell, freeing a significant purse for the auction. CSK confirmed Ruturaj Gaikwad as their captain for IPL 2026 despite Samson's arrival, while the likes of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have undergone minimal changes.
IPL 2026: The Change in Coaches
Although the majority of teams have gone with a settled backroom, a few have made changes.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR have made a wholesale change to their backroom staff. Chandrakant Pandit was relieved of his duties and Abhishek Nayar has taken over as Head Coach. Similarly, Tim Southee has joined as Bowling Coach, while Shane Watson has been roped in as Assistant Coach.
Rajasthan Royals
The Royals confirmed the departure of Rahul Dravid, who has been replaced by Kumar Sangakkara. Apart from that, RR coach Sairaj Bahutule has also left.
Punjab Kings
Sairaj Bahutule has been appointed as the new bowling coach for the Punjab Kings.
Lucknow Super Giants
Zaheer Khan has left LSG as their mentor. The former Indian bowler joined them in 2025.
IPL 2026: Full List of Head Coaches Ahead of Mini Auction
| Team | Head Coach |
| KKR | Abhishek Nayar |
| RCB | Andy Flower |
| CSK | Stephen Flemming |
| RR | Kumar Sangakkara |
| PBKS | Ricky Ponting |
| SRH | Daniel Vettori |
| DC | Hemang Badani |
| MI | Mahela Jayawardene |
| GT | Parrthiv Patel (Tentative) |
| LSG | Justin Langer |
