The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) continues to captivate cricket fans worldwide as it gears up for its 19th edition in 2026. With the mini-auction coming up on December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, all 10 teams will be looking to fill in the gaps after retentions. Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden title win in 2025, all 10 franchises have announced their retentions, trades, and releases ahead of the mini-auction on December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi.
List of Teams in Indian Premier League 2026
The IPL 2026 teams remain consistent with the 10 franchises from the previous season. Each team has retained a core group of players while eyeing auction reinforcements to fill gaps. Here’s the complete IPL team list 2026:
| Team | Captain | Titles | Home ground | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Ruturaj Gaikwad | 5 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited by India Cements Ltd |
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | Hardik Pandya | 5 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Indiawin Sports backed by Reliance Industries |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Rajat Patidar | 1 | M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Ajinkya Rahane | 3 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Knight Riders Sports Pvt. Ltd (Red Chillies Entertainment & Mehta Group) |
| Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Shreyas Iyer | 0 | PCA Stadium, Mullanpur | KPH Dream Cricket Pvt. Ltd |
| Gujarat Titans (GT) | Shubman Gill | 1 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Torrent Group (67%) and CVC Capital Partners (33%) |
| Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Rishabh Pant | 0 | BRSABV Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | RPSG Group |
| Delhi Capitals (DC) | Axar Patel | 0 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | JSW Group (50%) & GMR Group (50%) |
| Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Yet to be announced | 1 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Royals Sports Group (Emerging Media Ltd) |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | Pat Cummins | 1 | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad | SUN TV Network |
These Indian Premier League 2026 teams will compete in 84 league matches, with playoffs culminating in a grand finale. With a combined auction purse of ₹237.55 crore and 77 slots to fill, the mini-auction promises drama.
Team-Wise Squad Details
The IPL 2026 squads are shaped by retentions (173 players total, including 49 overseas), trades, releases and auction. Teams can expand to 25 players post-auction. Below is a team-wise overview of retained players, key trades/releases, and remaining purse/slots (as of November 15, 2025). The Full IPL players list 2026 will be finalised post-auction, but these cores set the foundation.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Retained Players (16): Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Sanju Samson (Trade), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel.
- Trade in: Sanju Samson
- Trade Out: Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran
- Releases: Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway, Ravichandran Ashwin (retired)
- Purse Remaining: ₹43.4 Cr | Slots: 9 (4 overseas).
2. Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Retained Players (20): Allah Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande (Trade in), Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Shardul Thakur (Trade in), Sherfane Rutherford (Trade in), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, Will Jacks
- Trade out: Arjun Tendulkar
- Trade in: Shardul Thakur, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande
- Releases: Bevon Jacobs, Karn Sharma, KL Shrijith, Lizaad Williams, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Satyanarayana Raju, Reece Topley, Vignesh Puthur
- Purse Remaining: ₹2.75 Cr | Slots: 5 (1 overseas).
3. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Retained Players (12): Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
- Trade out: Mayank Markande
- Releases: Andre Russell (retired), Venkatesh Iyer, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya, Luvnith Sisodiya, Mayank Markande (traded out)
- Purse Remaining: ₹64.3 Cr | Slots: 13 (6 overseas).
4. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- Retained Players (21): Arshdeep Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Owen, Musheer Khan, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal
- Releases: Glenn Maxwell (retired), Aaron Hardie, Praveen Dubey, Kuldeep Sen, Josh Inglis
- Purse Remaining: ₹11.5 Cr | Slots: 4 (2 overseas).
5. Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Retained Players (16): Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira (Trade in), Jofra Archer, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-Dre Pretorious, Nandre Burger, Ravindra Jadeja (Trade in), Riyan Parag, Sam Curran (Trade in), Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Charak
- Trade in: Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Donovan Ferreira
- Trade out: Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana
- Purse Remaining: ₹16.05 Cr | Slots: 9 (1 overseas).
6. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
- Retained Players (17): Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Nuwan Thushara, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Dar, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal
- Releases: Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Manoj Bhandage, iam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Blessing Muzarabani, Mohit Rathee
- Purse Remaining: ₹16.40 Cr | Slots: 8 (2 overseas)
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Retained Players (15): Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, Brydon Carse, Eshan Malinga, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, Jaydev Unadkat, Kamindu Mendis, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins, Smaran Ravichandaran, Travis Head, Zeeshan Ansari
- Trades Out: Mohammed Shami
- Releases: Rahul Chahar, Abhinav Manohar, Adam Zampa, Simarjeet Singh, Wiaan Mulder, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby
- Purse Remaining: ₹25.5 Cr | Slots: 10 (2 overseas)
8. Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Retained Players (17): Abhishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, Nitish Rana (Trade in), Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam
- Trade In: Nitish Rana
- Releases: Faf du Plessis (Retired), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mohit Sharma, Donovan Ferreira, Manvanth Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Harry Brook
- Purse Remaining: ₹21.8 Cr | Slots: 8 (5 overseas)
9. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
- Retained Players (19): Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Akash Singh, Arjun Tendulkar (Trade in), Arshin Kulkarni, Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Digvesh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Manimaran Siddharth, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav, Md Shami (Trade in), Mitchell Marsh, Mohsin Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Prince Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shahbaz Ahmed
- Trade In: Mohammed Shami, Arjun Tendulkar
- Trade Out: Shardul Thakur
- Releases: Ravi Bishnoi, David Miller, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph, Shardul Thakur (Trade out), Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Aryan Juyal
- Purse Remaining: ₹22.95 Cr | Slots: 6 (4 overseas).
10. Gujarat Titans (GT)
- Retained Players (20): Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Mohammad Siraj, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar.
- Trade Out: Sherfane Rutherford
- Releases: Karim Janat, Gerald Coetzee, Dasun Shanaka, Mahipal Lomror, Kulwant Khejroliya
- Purse Remaining: ₹11.2 Cr | Slots: 5 (4 overseas).
Team News & Updates
IPL 2026 Captains
Captaincy plays a pivotal role in the Indian Premier League 2026 teams, blending tactics, motivation, and on-field decisions. Eight teams have confirmed their IPL captains 2026, while KKR and RR await post-auction clarity amid trades. Here’s the rundown:
| Team | Captain | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CSK | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Confirmed |
| MI | Hardik Pandya | Confirmed |
| KKR | Ajinkya Rahane | Pending |
| PBKS | Shreyas Iyer | Confirmed |
| RR | To be announced | Pending |
| RCB | Rajat Patidar | Confirmed |
| SRH | Pat Cummins | Confirmed |
| DC | Axar Patel | Confirmed |
| LSG | Rishabh Pant | Confirmed |
| GT | Shubman Gill | Confirmed |
IPL 2026 Captains List
Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK)
Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK’s elegant opener, steps up as full-time captain for IPL 2026 after deputising for MS Dhoni. Known for his classical strokeplay and calm demeanour, the 28-year-old led Maharashtra domestically. Backed by Dhoni’s mentorship, Gaikwad aims to blend youth with experience, targeting CSK’s sixth title. Sanju Samson is likely to be the vice-captain.
Hardik Pandya (MI)
Hardik Pandya, MI’s dynamic all-rounder, retains captaincy for IPL 2026 despite 2025 scrutiny. The 31-year-old’s aggressive style and leadership in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win inspire the five-time champs. With Rohit Sharma in the ranks, Pandya focuses on rebuilding MI’s championship pedigree through bold tactics.
Ajinkya Rahane (KKR)
Ajinkya Rahane captained KKR in IPL 2025. He has been retained. However, KKR have not confirmed whether Rahane will continue to lead the side. With a huge purse in the auction, KKR may find someone who can lead the team to glory again. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy could also be potential candidates.
Shreyas Iyer (PBKS)
Shreyas Iyer, PBKS’s composed batsman, is confirmed captain for IPL 2026. The 30-year-old’s tactical acumen shone in KKR’s 2024 title win; now, he rebuilds PBKS around Chahal and Rabada. Iyer’s calm under pressure and middle-order prowess position him to end Punjab’s trophy drought finally.
Rajat Patidar (RCB)
Rajat Patidar, RCB’s stylish batsman, will lead the defending champions in IPL 2026. The 32-year-old’s aggressive captaincy guided RCB’s 2025 triumph, blending Kohli’s fire with youth. Patidar’s middle-order stability and strategic rotations will be key in defending the title amid high expectations.
Pat Cummins (SRH)
Pat Cummins, SRH’s Australian pace ace, captains for a second straight IPL 2026 season. The 32-year-old’s international success and data-driven decisions stabilised SRH. Retaining Head and Klaasen, Cummins eyes playoffs, leveraging his express bounce and cool-headed leadership.
Axar Patel (DC)
Axar Patel, DC’s spin all-rounder, will lead the side in IPL 2026 as well. The 30-year-old’s economical bowling and lower-order hitting and KL Rahul’s refusal to take up the role, earned him role. Axar aims to harness Kuldeep and Stubbs for a deep playoff run.
Shubman Gill (GT)
Shubman Gill, GT’s prodigious opener, continues as IPL 2026 captain. The 25-year-old is the Indian Test and ODI captain and is all set to take over from Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain after the T20 World Cup 2026. His elegant batting and composed leadership shone in IPL 2025. Backed by Rashid and Rabada, Gill’s youth infusion strategy positions GT as dark horses for the trophy.
Rishabh Pant (LSG)
In his debut season at LSG, things did not go as planned. Pant endured a poor run of form as LSG crashed out. However, he showed glimpses of what he can do in the last match, smashing a century. He will continue to lead the team in IPL 2026.
