As all franchises lock in their squads ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, each team has retained a core that represents its identity for the upcoming season. Here’s a complete team-wise breakdown of the top three retained players, based on seniority, impact and importance within each squad.
Top 3 retained players – Team-wise
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
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MS Dhoni
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Ruturaj Gaikwad
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Sanju Samson
Delhi Capitals (DC)
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KL Rahul
-
Axar Patel
-
Kuldeep Yadav
Gujarat Titans (GT)
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Shubman Gill
-
Rashid Khan
-
Jos Buttler
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
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Sunil Narine
-
Rinku Singh
-
Varun Chakravarthy
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
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Nicholas Pooran
-
Mayank Yadav
-
Mohammed Shami
Mumbai Indians (MI)
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Rohit Sharma
-
Jasprit Bumrah
-
Suryakumar Yadav
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
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Shreyas Iyer
-
Arshdeep Singh
-
Yuzvendra Chahal
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
-
Ravindra Jadeja
-
Sam Curran
-
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
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Virat Kohli
-
Josh Hazlewood
-
Phil Salt
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
-
Pat Cummins
-
Travis Head
-
Heinrich Klaasen
