IPL 2026 Retained Indian Players – Shocking List set to be Released

Explore the IPL 2026 likely Indian players retention list for all 10 teams with team-wise predictions and confirmed retained names ahead of the mini auction.

The current buzz in the cricketing world revolves around two major events – the India vs Australia T20 series and the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Auction. Both hold massive importance, especially for the young Indian players who are making a mark on the international stage and will soon headline the IPL. The ongoing India vs Australia series is already showcasing several rising stars who are expected to attract big attention at the IPL Auction 2026. Naturally, fans are thrilled to see their favourite players in action, both in national colours and in franchise cricket.

The upcoming IPL 2026 Mini Auction is expected to be one of the rare occasions where Overseas players might attract more attention than Indian players. Usually, Indian players form the core of every IPL franchise, which is why teams are often reluctant to release them, especially the top performers. When finalising their IPL 2026 retentions, franchises always prioritise their Indian talent, ensuring that the quality and experienced names are retained without hesitation.

That’s why Overseas players often fetch massive bids at the IPL Auction, as the supply of top-tier international talent far exceeds the demand. With the IPL 2026 Mini Auction now just a few months away, all ten franchises must have already finalised their retention list. But the big question remains – which Indian players will each team look to retain? In this article, we analyse the current squad composition of every team and predict the best retained Indian players list for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 across all 10 franchises.

IPL 2026 All 10 Teams Exclusive Best Retained Indian Players List

Chennai Super Kings – CSK Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Andre Siddharth
2. Anshul Kamboj
3. Ayush Mhatre
4. Khaleel Ahmed
5. MS Dhoni
6. Ramkrishna Ghosh
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
9. Shaik Rasheed
10. Shivam Dube
11. Urvil Patel
12. Vansh Bedi

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are expected to retain a strong Indian core led by their captain and future leader, Ruturaj Gaikwad. While MS Dhoni captained the team in IPL 2025, Gaikwad is likely to take charge again for the IPL 2026 season. CSK have always focused on maintaining a balanced mix of youth and experience in their Indian contingent. Among the promising youngsters, expect the franchise to back Ayush Mhatre, Anshul Kamboj, and Urvil Patel. Meanwhile, seasoned campaigners like MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Ravindra Jadeja will continue to form the experienced backbone of the CSK retained Indian players list for IPL 2026.

Delhi Capitals – DC Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Abhishek Porel
2. Ashutosh Sharma
3. Axar Patel (c)
4. KL Rahul
5. Kuldeep Yadav
6. Mukesh Kumar
7. Sameer Rizvi
8. Vipraj Nigam
9. T Natarajan

The Delhi Capitals (DC) are expected to retain a limited but impactful group of Indian players for IPL 2026, with around nine names likely to stay. There has been ongoing speculation about KL Rahul’s possible exit from the franchise, but those rumours are expected to settle as the IPL 2026 Auction approaches. Rahul remains one of Delhi’s most valuable assets, second only to Axar Patel in importance. Along with these senior players, DC are also likely to retain their young Indian talents, including Ashutosh Sharma, Abhishek Porel, Sameer Rizvi, and Vipraj Nigam, who bring energy and balance to the squad.

Gujarat Titans – GT Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Anuj Rawat
2. Arshad Khan
3. Kulwant Kejroliya
4. Mahipal Lomror
5. Manav Suthar
6. Mohammed Siraj
7. Nishant Sindhu
8. Prasidh Krishna
9. R Sai Kishore
10. Rahul Tewatia
11. Sai Sudharsan
12. Shahrukh Khan
13. Shubman Gill (c)
14. Washington Sundar

The Gujarat Titans (GT) boast one of the strongest Indian cores in the IPL 2026, with a balanced mix of talent across both batting and bowling departments. In the batting lineup, GT feature proven performers like Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, and Mahipal Lomror, who bring consistency and firepower. On the bowling front, the franchise has a formidable set of Indian bowlers, including Washington Sundar, R Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Arshad Khan, and Mohammed Siraj. With this combination of youth and experience, the Gujarat Titans’ Indian players list for IPL 2026 looks both stable and match-winning.

Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Ajinkya Rahane
2. Angkrish Raghuvanshi
3. Anukul Roy
4. Harshit Rana
5. Mayank Markande
6. Ramandeep Singh
7. Rinku Singh
8. Umran Malik
9. Vaibhav Arora
10. Varun Chakravarthy

When we analyse the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for IPL 2026, their Indian core appears slightly underdeveloped compared to other teams. While there are reliable performers like Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, and Ajinkya Rahane, a majority of KKR’s Indian players are still in their early stages of growth. The young talents such as Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, and Umran Malik, bring potential but lack the experience needed for consistency. Overall, KKR are expected to retain around 10 Indian players ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, but they may consider releasing Venkatesh Iyer, who has struggled to find form and remains one of the costlier names in their lineup.

Lucknow Super Giants – LSG Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Abdul Samad
2. Akash Deep
3. Akash Singh
4. Arshin Kulkarni
5. Avesh Khan
6. Ayush Badoni
7. Digvesh Rathi
8. Himmat Singh
9. Prince Yadav
10. Ravi Bishnoi
11. Rishabh Pant (c)
12. Shahbaz Ahmed
13. Shardul Thakur

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are one of the few franchises with Indian bowlers in abundance, but that strength has also created a major imbalance in their squad. While the team boasts a solid lineup of Indian pacers, their Indian batting core looks thin. Apart from Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, and Abdul Samad, LSG lack proven Indian batters, forcing the franchise to depend heavily on Overseas batsmen for stability. To improve the overall team balance ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction, LSG may consider releasing injury-prone bowlers like Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan, making room for a few new Indian batting options.

Mumbai Indians – MI Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Arjun Tendulkar
2. Ashwani Kumar
3. Deepak Chahar
4. Hardik Pandya (c)
5. Jasprit Bumrah
6. Karn Sharma
7. Naman Dhir
8. Raj Bawa
9. Robin Minz
10. Rohit Sharma
11. Suryakumar Yadav
12. Tilak Varma
13. Vignesh Puthur

The Mumbai Indians (MI) possess one of the strongest Indian cores among all IPL franchises heading into IPL 2026. The team boasts a star-studded lineup of elite Indian players who bring both experience and firepower. In the batting department, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, and Tilak Varma form a rock-solid unit capable of turning any game around. On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, and Karn Sharma headline the Indian contingent with their match-winning abilities. Additionally, young talents like Raj Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, and Robin Minz add depth and promise to the Mumbai Indians’ retained Indian players list for IPL 2026.

Punjab Kings – PBKS Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Arshdeep Singh
2. Harpreet Brar
3. Kuldeep Sen
4. Musheer Khan
5. Nehal Wadhera
6. Prabsimran Singh
7. Pravin Dubey
8. Priyansh Arya
9. Pyla Avinash
10. Shashank Singh
11. Shreyas Iyer (c)
12. Suryansh Shedge
13. Vyshak Vijaykumar
14. Yash Thakur
15. Yuzvendra Chahal

The IPL 2025 runner-up, Punjab Kings (PBKS), stand out as one of the few franchises built around a strong core of uncapped Indian players. Unlike other teams that rely heavily on star names, PBKS have successfully developed a pool of young, homegrown talent. The batting unit features exciting Indian players like Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Suryansh Shedge, and Shashank Singh, all of whom have shown great promise. On the bowling front, the franchise boasts impactful names such as Vyshak Vijaykumar, Harpreet Brar, and Yash Thakur. Overall, this solid Indian core gives Punjab Kings a unique identity heading into IPL 2026.

Rajasthan Royals  – RR Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Akash Madhwal
2. Dhruv Jurel
3. Nitish Rana
4. Riyan Parag
5. Sandeep Sharma
6. Sanju Samson (c)
7. Shubham Dubey
8. Tushar Deshpande
9. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
10. Yashasvi Jaiswal
11. Yudhvir Charak

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have built a strong lineup featuring several talented Indian players who form the backbone of their squad. In the batting department, names like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Nitish Rana stand out for their consistency and impact. On the bowling side, RR rely on Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, and Akash Madhwal, who add depth and control to their pace attack. However, from a team balance perspective, the franchise continues to lack a quality Indian spinner and all-rounder – an area that posed challenges in IPL 2025 and could again be a concern in IPL 2026 if not addressed.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru – RCB Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
2. Devdutt Padikkal
3. Jitesh Sharma
4. Krunal Pandya
5. Manoj Bhandage
6. Mayank Agarwal
7. Rajat Patidar (c)
8. Rasikh Dar
9. Suyash Sharma
10. Swapnil Singh
11. Swastik Chikara
12. Virat Kohli
13. Yash Dayal

The IPL 2025 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), are expected to retain almost their entire Indian core for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. After finally lifting their maiden trophy, the franchise will look to stick with the same winning combination instead of experimenting with changes. With a strong and balanced group of Indian players, RCB are likely to retain key batters like Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Mayank Agarwal, Jitesh Sharma, and Rajat Patidar. In the bowling department, consistent performers such as Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Suyash Sharma will also continue to be an integral part of the RCB retained Indian players list for IPL 2026.

Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Retained Indian Players 2026 Best List

1. Abhinav Manohar
2. Abhishek Sharma
3. Aniket Verma
4. Atharva Taide
5. Harsh Dubey
6. Harshal Patel
7. Ishan Kishan
8. Jaydev Unadkat
9. Nitish Reddy
10. Simarjeet Singh
11. Zeeshan Ansari

When it comes to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the team doesn’t boast a lineup filled with Indian superstars, but they do have a few standout names who add real value. Abhishek Sharma, currently ranked as the No. 1 T20I batter in the world, remains their biggest Indian asset. Alongside him, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Reddy, and Harshal Patel form the experienced Indian core for SRH. Complementing these proven names, the franchise also has promising young Indian talents like Aniket Verma, Harsh Dubey, Simarjeet Singh, and Zeeshan Ansari, who bring energy and depth to the SRH Indian players list for IPL 2026.

So, that’s about the best retained Indian players list for all 10 teams for IPL 2026. What’s your take on the best retained Indian players list for all 10 teams for IPL 2026? Please share your thoughts on cricgasm@gmail.com

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