IPL 2026 Auction: Full List of Sold and Retained Players with Prices

The IPL 2026 Auction concluded on 16 December 2025 in Abu Dhabi, completing the squad-building process for all ten franchises ahead of the nineteenth edition of the Indian Premier League. This was a mini auction, not a mega auction, meaning franchises entered the day with retained cores already in place and targeted specific gaps in their squads. A total of 1,355 players registered, 369 were shortlisted, and 77 were sold across 11 rounds. This article covers the full IPL 2026 retained players list by team, the complete list of sold players, their prices, and the key records set on auction day.

How the IPL 2026 Mini Auction Worked

The IPL Governing Council announced in July 2024 that a mega auction would be conducted for the 2025 season, followed by mini auctions in 2026 and 2027. In a mini auction, franchises retain the bulk of their squad and enter with a remaining purse to fill specific slots.

The player retention window for IPL 2026 closed on 15 November 2025, with all 10 franchises confirming their retained players ahead of the auction. Across all teams, a total of 173 players were retained, including 49 overseas players. A combined purse of ₹237.55 crore was available at auction for a total of 77 player slots.

Right-to-Match cards were not available at the mini auction.

IPL 2026 Retained Players: Full Team-by-Team List

Among the 10 IPL teams, Punjab Kings retained the most players with 21, while Kolkata Knight Riders retained the fewest with 12.

Chennai Super Kings — 16 Retained Players

CSK retained 16 players including 4 overseas, spending ₹81.60 crore with ₹43.40 crore remaining for auction.

Delhi Capitals — 17 Retained Players

DC retained 17 players including 3 overseas, spending ₹103.20 crore with ₹21.80 crore remaining.

Gujarat Titans — 20 Retained Players

GT retained 20 players including 4 overseas, spending ₹112.10 crore with ₹12.90 crore remaining.

Kolkata Knight Riders — 12 Retained Players

KKR retained just 12 players, the fewest of any team, with only 2 overseas players kept, releasing Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer ahead of the auction.

Lucknow Super Giants — 19 Retained Players

LSG retained 19 players including 4 overseas, spending ₹99.50 crore with ₹25.50 crore remaining.

Mumbai Indians — 20 Retained Players

MI retained 20 players including 7 overseas, spending ₹122.25 crore, leaving just ₹2.75 crore for auction, the tightest purse of any team.

Punjab Kings — 21 Retained Players

PBKS retained 21 players including 6 overseas, spending ₹113.50 crore with ₹11.50 crore remaining, the largest retained squad of any team.

Rajasthan Royals — 16 Retained Players

RR retained 16 players including 7 overseas, spending ₹108.95 crore with ₹16.05 crore remaining.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 17 Retained Players

RCB retained 17 players including 6 overseas, spending ₹108.60 crore with ₹16.40 crore remaining.

Sunrisers Hyderabad — 15 Retained Players

SRH retained 15 players including 6 overseas. Their biggest release was Mohammed Shami, who was traded to Lucknow Super Giants.

Retention Summary: All 10 Teams at a Glance

Key Trades Before the Auction

The pre-auction period saw a record 10 players traded between franchises, the highest in any IPL season. The most significant moves are listed below.

Auction Day Records: Most Expensive Sold Players

Cameron Green: Most Expensive Overseas Player in IPL History

Cameron Green was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore, surpassing Mitchell Starc’s previous record of ₹24.75 crore to become the most expensive overseas player in IPL history. Despite the record bid, his contract is capped at ₹18 crore under BCCI rules, with any surplus diverted to the welfare fund.

Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma: Joint Uncapped Player Record

Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma became the joint-most expensive uncapped players in IPL history when both were bought by Chennai Super Kings for ₹14.20 crore each.

Top Players Sold at IPL 2026 Auction

Auction Overview: Key Numbers

Notable Unsold Players

The 79 unsold players notably included Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jonny Bairstow, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway, Alzarri Joseph, Gus Atkinson, Deepak Hooda, and Karn Sharma.

Post-Auction Replacements

The BCCI asked KKR to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the squad in January. In line with IPL rules, KKR signed Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement. KKR also signed Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for the injured Akash Deep.

Conclusion

The IPL 2026 retained players list and auction together form the complete picture of how all ten franchises built their squads for the season. A total of 173 players were retained across the ten franchises before auction day, with Punjab Kings retaining the most at 21 and KKR the fewest at 12. The mini auction added 77 more players, with Cameron Green setting a new overseas record and two uncapped players jointly rewriting the uncapped price benchmark. For readers tracking squad depth, player values, or franchise strategy, this complete retention and auction record is the definitive reference for IPL 2026 squad composition.