On November 15, all IPL franchises unveiled their lists of retained and released players ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, scheduled for December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Several players who earned huge sums in IPL 2025 may now see drastically lower bids.

Venkatesh Iyer was one of the most expensive buys in the 2025 mega auction, with KKR spending ₹23.75 crore on him. However, after a disappointing season, Iyer was released, and it’s unlikely any team will match his previous price in the upcoming auction.

Ravi Bishnoi, retained by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹11 crore, failed to make a mark in IPL 2025 and was released following the team’s acquisition of Digvesh Rathi. Bishnoi may not attract a high bid this time.

Jack Fraser McGurk, Delhi Capitals’ ₹9 crore acquisition via the Right to Match card, struggled in his debut season, scoring only 55 runs in six games. Delhi released him, making it unlikely that he will command a significant price in IPL 2026.

IPL 2026 Retention Day Highlights 

IPL 2026 retention day on November 15, 2025, was marked by a flurry of major trades, high-profile releases, and strategic moves by franchises to prepare for the upcoming mini-auction.

The most significant development was a three-way trade involving Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Delhi Capitals (DC), which reshaped multiple squads.

CSK acquired Sanju Samson from RR, while RR received Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from CSK. Delhi Capitals benefited by securing Nitish Rana from RR, and RR also added Donovan Ferreira from DC.

In addition to the three-way trade, several other player movements were finalized. Mohammed Shami moved from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants, Mayank Markande returned to Mumbai Indians from Kolkata Knight Riders, Arjun Tendulkar joined LSG from MI, and both Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford were acquired by Mumbai Indians from LSG and Gujarat Titans, respectively.