IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for All 10 Teams
Jasprit Bumrah to Arshdeep Singh, discover the likely best retained bowlers list for all 10 teams ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Mini Auction.
The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is all set to bring cricket’s biggest spectacle back into action. But before fans witness the thrill of the matches, all 10 IPL teams will go through a crucial phase – the IPL 2026 player retentions, and the highly anticipated IPL 2026 Mini Auction. While the official IPL 2026 Auction date has not been announced yet, reports suggest it could be scheduled around December 2025, making it one of the most talked-about events before the season begins.
Bowlers are the backbone of any IPL team, and without them, cricket as a tournament feels incomplete. With just 2-3 months left for IPL 2026, franchises are already brainstorming their IPL 2026 retained players list, especially when it comes to bowlers. The big question for fans is – which bowlers will teams retain and which ones will they release? High-profile names like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Jofra Archer, and Arshdeep Singh are expected to be in focus during the IPL 2026 player retentions, making the upcoming decisions even more exciting.
In the IPL, bowlers are broadly classified into two main categories – Fast Bowlers and Spinners. Within these, they are further sub-categorised into primary bowlers and all-rounders who can contribute with both bat and ball. Since there is no official restriction on the number of bowlers a franchise can retain, teams are expected to stick with their core bowling units. In this article, we present the IPL 2026 Best Predicted Retained Bowlers list.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Gujarat Titans (GT)
- Rashid Khan
- Gerald Coetzee
- Arshad Khan
- Mahipal Lomror
- Manav Suthar
- Nishant Sindhu
- Rahul Tewatia
- Washington Sundar
- Kulwant Kejroliya
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
- R Sai Kishore
The Gujarat Titans (GT) are expected to retain around 12 bowlers ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, keeping most of their bowling core intact. Leading the pack will be star performers Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore, and Washington Sundar, who continue to provide balance across spin and pace. In addition to these five key names, GT are also likely to back bowlers like Arshad Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, and Rahul Tewatia, who have shown promise and versatility.
This mix of Indian and overseas options ensures Gujarat’s bowling attack remains strong going into IPL 2026. However, the big decision for GT will be regarding Kagiso Rabada. With his high price tag and relatively inconsistent returns in IPL 2025, the franchise may opt to release him and free up budget for fresh bowling options at the auction. With a balanced unit of spinners, pacers, and all-rounders, the Gujarat Titans look set to field another competitive bowling line-up as they aim to strengthen their squad for IPL 2026.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Corbin Bosch
- Allah Ghazanfar
- Trent Boult
- Will Jacks
- Mitchell Santner
- Arjun Tendulkar
- Hardik Pandya
- Naman Dhir
- Raj Bawa
- Ashwani Kumar
- Deepak Chahar
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Karn Shrma
- Vignesh Puthur
The Mumbai Indians (MI) team is likely to retain a massive 14 bowlers ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, underlining their strategy of banking on bowling depth and variety. As always, MI’s bowling unit will be anchored by their trusted core featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Hardik Pandya, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, and Deepak Chahar – players who have consistently delivered in crunch situations.
Adding to this strong foundation, MI are expected to back young Afghan spinner Allah Ghazanfar, who missed IPL 2025 due to injury, but remains a valuable long-term asset. Alongside him, the franchise is likely to continue investing in emerging Indian bowlers like Arjun Tendulkar, Vignesh Puthut, and Raj Bawa, ensuring both bench strength and future-ready options. With a perfect mix of experienced international stars and promising domestic talents, the Mumbai Indians’ bowling line-up looks formidable on paper.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Andre Russell
- Moeen Ali
- Sunil Narine
- Anrich Nortje
- Anukul Roy
- Harshit Rana
- Mayank Markande
- Umran Malik
- Vaibhav Arora
- Varun Chakravarthy
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) may not have had the best outing in IPL 2025, but heading into the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, the franchise is expected to stick with most of its core bowling unit. Leading the pack will be Harshi Rana, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell – six bowlers who form the backbone of KKR’s bowling attack.
Alongside this core group, KKR are also likely to continue backing versatile names such as Moeen Ali, Umran Malik, Mayank Markande, and Anukul Roy. This mix of experienced internationals and promising Indian talent ensures that KKR’s bowling line-up remains competitive as they look to bounce back strongly in IPL 2026. With a balance of pace, spin, and all-round options, Kolkata Knight Riders will aim to address their shortcomings from IPL 2025 and rebuild a more consistent bowling unit for the upcoming season.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
- Jacob Bethell
- Romario Shephard
- Josh Hazlewood
- Lungi Ngidi
- Nuwan Thushara
- Krunal Pandya
- Manoj Bhandage
- Swapnil Singh
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Rasikh Dar
- Suyash Sharma
- Yash Dayal
The IPL 2025 Champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), are unlikely to make many changes in their bowling unit ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction. As the saying goes, “don’t fix what isn’t broken”, RCB are expected to retain almost their entire bowling core that helped them lift the title. Key names likely to stay with the franchise include Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi, Krunal Pandya, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Romario Shepherd. These bowlers provided the perfect mix of pace, spin, and experience in IPL 2025. Alongside the core, RCB are also expected to continue backing Swapnil Singh, Manoj Bhandage, and Rasikh Dar, giving them bench strength and depth for different match conditions. With this solid group of retained bowlers, RCB look well-prepared to defend their crown in IPL 2026.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Sam Curran
- Rachin Ravindra
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Nathan Ellis
- Noor Ahmad
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Shivam Dube
- Anshul Kamboj
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Ramkrishna Ghosh
Talking about the Yellow Army, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are expected to retain around 10 bowlers ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction. Despite finishing 10th in the IPL 2025 points table, CSK’s bowling attack remained one of their strongest assets. Key performers such as Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, and Sam Curran consistently delivered with the ball.
These six names will form the core bowling group for IPL 2026. In addition, CSK are likely to back Nathan Ellis, Ramkrishna Ghosh, Shivam Dube, and Rachin Ravindra. This ensures depth, variety, and balance in their bowling line-up. With a mix of experienced internationals and young Indian bowlers, CSK will look to bounce back strongly in IPL 2026.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
- Mitchell Marsh (o)
- Will O’Rourke (o)
- Arshin Kulkarni
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Akash Deep
- Akash Singh
- Avesh Khan
- Digvesh Rathi
- Prince Yadav
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Shardul Thakur
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are expected to retain around 11 bowlers ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, ensuring a strong mix of pace, spin, and all-round options. At the heart of their bowling core will be Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shardul Thakur, all of whom have been consistent performers for the franchise. One of the most exciting names in their retained list is Will O’Rourke, the promising pacer who impressed in his limited opportunities during IPL 2025. His addition strengthens LSG’s overseas pace arsenal. Alongside these key bowlers, the team is likely to back Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Akash Deep, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Arshin Kulkarni, ensuring both depth and variety across formats.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Ehsan Malinga
- Kamindu Mendis
- Pat Cummins
- Abhishek Sharma
- Harsh Dubey
- Nitish Reddy
- Harshal Patel
- Jaydev Unadkat
- Simarjeet Singh
- Zeeshan Ansari
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are expected to retain around 10 bowlers for IPL 2026. The franchise faces a tough call on whether to keep experienced names like Mohammed Shami and Rahul Chahar, both of whom struggled with form in the last season. Chances are, SRH may release them to free up purse value. Still, the Hyderabad bowling unit looks strong, with core performers like Pat Cummins, Ehsan Malinga, Simarjeet Singh, Jaidev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, and Harsh Dubey almost certain to be retained. This mix of international stars and rising domestic talent gives SRH the balance they need heading into the IPL 2026 Mini Auction.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Mitchell Starc
- Axar Patel
- Vipraj Nigam
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mukesh Kumar
The Delhi Capitals (DC) are expected to take a cautious approach ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, focusing only on their core set of bowlers while releasing most of the rest. Their key bowling group is likely to feature just five bowlers – Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, and Mukesh Kumar. Beyond these names, the Delhi Capitals are considering a major overhaul in their bowling department. Experienced bowlers like T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, and Dushmantha Chameera are likely to be released as the franchise looks to infuse fresh blood and young talent into their squad. This clear focus on retaining their most reliable performers while letting go of inconsistent options could help DC rebuild a sharper and more balanced bowling attack for IPL 2026.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Jofra Archer
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Nandre Burger
- Riyan Parag
- Akash Madhwal
- Sandeep Sharma
- Tushar Deshpande
- Yudhvir Charak
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) are one of the few IPL teams that heavily rely on their overseas bowlers, and going into the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, they are expected to retain four key international names — Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Nandre Burger. These bowlers bring pace, spin variety, and international experience, making them the backbone of RR’s attack.
In addition to the overseas core, RR are also likely to retain their trusted Indian bowlers, including Sandeep Sharma, Akash Madhwal, Tushar Deshpande, and Yudhvir Charak. This mix of domestic consistency and overseas firepower should keep their bowling strong in the upcoming season. However, one area where the Rajasthan Royals may look to strengthen is their spin department with more quality Indian options. Expect RR to target promising local spinners at the IPL 2026 Auction to provide balance and depth to their bowling unit.
IPL 2026 Likely Best Retained Bowlers List for Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Lockie Ferguson
- Marco Jansen
- Marcus Stoinis
- Musheer Khan
- Suryansh Shedge
- Arshdeep Singh
- Harpreet Brar
- Kuldeep Sen
- Pravin Dubey
- Vyshak Vijaykumar
- Yash Thakur
- Yuzvendra Chahal
The IPL 2025 runner-up, Punjab Kings (PBKS) are expected to retain the majority of their bowling unit ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction. Their biggest dilemma will be whether to continue with Yuzvendra Chahal, who comes with a high price tag. But given his consistent wicket-taking ability in IPL 2025, the Punjab Kings are likely to back him for one more season. Alongside Chahal, the core PBKS bowling attack should feature Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar, Vyshak Vijaykumar, and Azmatullah Omarzai — providing a strong mix of pace and spin. To further strengthen their depth, PBKS may also retain Marcus Stoinis, Kuldeep Sen, Yash Thakur, and Pravin Dubey. This combination ensures a balanced bowling line-up with both experienced internationals and promising young talents heading into IPL 2026.
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