IPL 2026 Retentions: Full Player Lists to Be Revealed on November 15

The excitement for the IPL 2026 season is building fast. JioStar, the official broadcaster, confirmed on Saturday that all teams will reveal the players they are keeping and those they are releasing on the deadline day, 15 November. This announcement came just after India secured a T20I series win in Australia, following the washout of the fifth match in Brisbane. Fans are now eagerly waiting for the retention lists.

Reports say the IPL 2026 auction will take place in December. Teams are busy finalising their player lists for this mini-auction. Last year, the IPL had a mega auction, letting franchises build their squads for the next three years.

Unlike retentions before a mega auction, there will be no cap on the number of players that each team can retain. Several teams, reports suggest, have already been in contact during the trading window, in which players can be traded or bought. The trading window opens seven days after a season, closes a week before the auction, reopens after the auction and shuts again 30 days before the start of a new season.

With the IPL 2026 retention deadline coming up and the mini-auction just around the corner, excitement and speculation are already heating up. This year, the main focus is on the value of India’s top players.

IPL 2026 Teams to Reveal Retentions on November 15

Teams are being extra careful about letting go of their star domestic players, especially those who can contribute in more than one role, like all-rounders or wicketkeeper-batters. There has been intense speculation that the Kolkata Knight Riders may target KL Rahul as their next captain wicketkeeper batter.

Delhi Capitals paid 14 crore for Rahul in last year’s mega auction, and the former Punjab Kings skipper scored 539 runs in 13 matches. Reports suggest that Delhi have tested the waters by exploring potential trades involving Rahul.

Sanju Samson is also a big name in trade talks. Reports say he has asked Rajasthan Royals to let him go before the 2026 auction. Several teams, including Chennai Super Kings, are interested, and CSK is said to have restarted talks with RR after earlier links with Delhi Capitals. Some of the costliest players from last year’s auction, including Venkatesh Iyer, are expected to be released. The retention announcements will give teams a clearer idea of the player pool and their purse strength as they head towards the mini-auction.

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Sanju Samson IPL 2026 Trade Update: CSK, KKR, and RR in Race for Star Wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is at the center of all IPL talk as the deadline for player retentions is approaching.

by Shekhar November 8, 2025