IPL 2026 retention analysis: KKR, SRH hit reset; CSK, RR gear up for full-scale overhauls in Abu Dhabi | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Bold releases, smart trades and obvious retentions were the flavour as the ten Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises went about their business on the retention deadline which ended on November 15. A total of 173 players have been retained and while most were on the expected lines, plenty of franchises sprung a surprise as they looked to plug the holes which they felt needed addressing.The busiest teams were 2024 finalists Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as both made some significant calls and will be heading into the December 16 with a squad size of 12 and 15 respectively. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), the two most talked about franchises for their high-profile trades involving Ravindra Jadeja, Sanju Samson and Sam Curran will also have some heavy lifting to do in the mini auction scheduled on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
Having retained their core and done some smart trades, Mumbai Indians (MI) look the most settled unit and are left with just Rs 2.75 crore. It effectively makes the auction a nice viewing experience for the thinktank as all one could expect from the giants is some uncapped buys. While they have made some releases but Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) are not too far behind and with most retained, they need those smart buys to assemble an effective support cast. GT are in search of some muscle in the order, a seamer; RCB need support for Josh Hazlewood and replacement for Liam Livingstone and PBKS too need to add some international flavour to the batting mix. PBKS and GT have a purse in excess of Rs 10 crore and RCB will have Rs 16.4 crore to fill in the maximum available 8 slots, and they can target just two overseas picks in that.Both DC and RCB have retained the exact number of players but the former need to fill in some crucial slots and have ensured a healthy purse for effective shopping. Rs 21.8 crore allows them to inject some pace with Mitchell Starc and also assemble a support cast in the middle-order alongside the likes of Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma.Few trades later, LSG have a squad size of 19 but their punt on injury prone seamers would certainly force them to have backups ready at the auction. The release of Ravi Bishnoi means spin will remain the prime concern, along with the need of a finisher to fill the dangerous shoes of David Miller. The focus, however, would remain on the likes of CSK, KKR, SRH and RR as they have been very active during the trading period and while some got what they were looking for, there were some who had no option but to release their big guns to beef up the purse.CSK are restarting and preparing for life after MS Dhoni, RR are eyeing a fresh cast as Sanju Samson moves on, KKR let go of Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer to earn a strong shot at mini auction and SRH are set for an overhaul in the bowling department. Clearly these will be the busiest tables come December 16. All four didn’t have an ideal mega auction and the upcoming mini-auction presents them an opportunity to get their act right in the second year of the ongoing three-year cycle.KKR need everything – bowlers, batters, finishers and even a leader, SRH need to ensure they are no longer the side which scores 220 and ends up getting it chased, RR have their task cut out to sort the bowling act and add muscle in the middle and CSK are in desperate need of power hitters in the middle-order. A maximum of Rs 237.5 is set to be splurged on 77 players, including 31 overseas, and eyes will remain on these four teams as they look to return to glory days.
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They will have to deal with the challenge of a reduced talent pool but there will be some quality overseas buys on offer. Cameron Green has emerged as a hot property and it will be interesting to see whether the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi trigger a bidding war again. The auction dynamics of demand and supply, and the timing of the name coming up on the big screen, will play a huge role but it’s highly unlikely that they won’t find a team again. KKR (Rs 64.3) and CSK (Rs 43.4) have the biggest purses and the think-tank’s one-day outing in Abu Dhabi could well decide the fate of their upcoming season. For the rest, it will be about filling in the gaps as there are some who wouldn’t have to do the frequent lifting of the paddle.
