Home / Sports / IPL Teams Unveil Retained and Released Players for 2026 Season
IPL Teams Unveil Retained and Released Players for 2026 Season
15 Nov
Summary
- KKR expected to release Venkatesh Iyer, Nortje, and de Kock
- RCB likely to part ways with Liam Livingstone
- CSK and RR set for major roster overhauls
With the IPL retention deadline set for November 15, 2025, teams are busy finalizing their rosters for the upcoming 2026 season. Unlike a mega auction year, the number of releases is expected to be relatively lower, except for a few teams.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are anticipated to release several high-profile players, including Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for a massive ₹23.75 crore in the last mega auction. Additionally, KKR may also let go of Anrich Nortje and Quinton de Kock.
Similarly, the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are expected to release Liam Livingstone, for whom they paid ₹8.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. The finalists from the previous season, Punjab Kings, could also part ways with Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell (₹4.2 crore).
The teams that finished at the bottom of the table, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), are expected to make the most releases. Reports suggest that players like Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, and Jamie Overton could leave CSK, while RR could release Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Kwena Maphaka.
In addition to the retentions and releases, the IPL teams have also been active in the trade market. The Mumbai Indians have already brought in Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford from Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, respectively. Meanwhile, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has moved from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants.
