The retention deadline for the IPL 2026 season has arrived, with teams finalizing their squads ahead of the mini-auction scheduled for December 16. Several significant trades and releases have been confirmed as franchises strategically调整 their lineups.
One of the most talked-about deals involves a swap between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), with Sanju Samson heading to CSK and Ravindra Jadeja joining RR. Sam Curran is also part of this exchange and will be joining Jadeja at Rajasthan Royals. The paperwork has been completed, and the official announcement is expected soon. For RR, acquiring Jadeja and Curran significantly boosts their all-round capabilities, with Jadeja potentially taking on the captaincy. Meanwhile, Samson's move to CSK is viewed as the beginning of a new era, providing the team with a solid Indian wicket-keeper batter with leadership qualities, especially with MS Dhoni nearing the end of his career.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are reportedly set to release Venkatesh Iyer, their most expensive player, after a disappointing season. Iyer, who was bought back for INR 23.75 crore in the previous auction, failed to justify his price tag. Releasing Iyer will free up a significant portion of KKR's purse for the upcoming auction, allowing them to rebuild their squad. Besides Iyer, KKR is also expected to release Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje as part of a youth-centric rebuild, focusing on pace bowling options. Despite the expected changes, KKR is likely to retain Ajinkya Rahane as captain, along with key players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Rinku Singh. Tim Southee has been confirmed as the new Bowling Coach, joining Abhishek Nayar (Head Coach) and Shane Watson (Assistant Coach).
Elsewhere, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are expected to retain Mayank Yadav, viewing him as a generational talent despite his recent injury. Shardul Thakur has officially joined Mumbai Indians (MI) in a trade with LSG. Rajasthan Royals have traded Nitish Rana to Delhi Capitals, with Donovan Ferreira returning to the Royals.
The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Teams can retain as many players as they want, provided they adhere to the league's regulations, maintain a squad size of 18 to 25 players, and stay within the salary cap of INR 120 crore. The trading window remains open until a week before the auction, allowing for further player movements.
