The IPL 2026 auction wasn’t just another player marketplace—it was a high-voltage reshuffling of power, strategy, and ambition. With all 10 franchises now locked in and their squads finalized, the IPL 2026 squad list tells a story of bold gambles, heartbreaks, and a few masterstrokes that could define the next T20 season .
From Kolkata Knight Riders shelling out ₹25.20 crore for Cameron Green to Chennai Super Kings betting big on uncapped Indian talent, every team has carved a unique path. Whether you’re a fantasy cricket manager, a die-hard fan, or a casual viewer trying to keep up—this is your ultimate, up-to-the-minute guide to who got whom, who missed out, and what it all means.
Table of Contents
- Key Trends from the IPL 2026 Auction
- Complete IPL 2026 Squad List by Team
- Biggest Surprises and Snubs
- Fantasy Cricket: Impact Players to Watch
- What This Means for IPL 2026
- Conclusion
- Sources
Key Trends from the IPL 2026 Auction
Before diving into the rosters, it’s crucial to understand the auction’s overarching themes:
- Overseas All-Rounders in Demand: Players like Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, and Cameron Boyce triggered fierce bidding wars—teams crave versatility .
- Uncapped Indian Talent Boom: Franchises spent heavily on domestic stars like Priyansh Arya, Anshul Kamboj, and Siddharth Yadav, betting on future potential .
- New Wage Rules: The BCCI’s ₹18 crore salary cap for overseas players changed bidding dynamics—teams now pay more for the same take-home value [[INTERNAL_LINK:cameron-green-actual-salary]].
- Pace Over Spin: With pitches trending faster, franchises prioritized quick bowlers over traditional spinners in the middle rounds.
Complete IPL 2026 Squad List by Team
Below is the updated roster for all 10 teams as of December 16, 2025, post-auction.
1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Key Retentions: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja
- Major Buys: Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan leggie), Jamie Overton (England pacer), Anshul Kamboj (Indian pace)
- Squad Size: 25 (18 Indian, 7 Overseas)
2. Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Key Retentions: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
- Major Buys: Gerald Coetzee (South Africa), Tom Hartley (England), Raj Bawa (Indian all-rounder)
- Squad Size: 25 (17 Indian, 8 Overseas)
3. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Key Retentions: Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine
- Major Buys: Cameron Green (₹25.20 crore), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Vyshak Vijaykumar
- Squad Size: 25 (16 Indian, 9 Overseas)
4. Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Key Retentions: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler
- Major Buys: Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, Priyansh Arya
- Squad Size: 25 (18 Indian, 7 Overseas)
5. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
- Key Retentions: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Mohammed Siraj
- Major Buys: Lockie Ferguson, Tristan Stubbs, Nuwan Thushka
- Squad Size: 24 (16 Indian, 8 Overseas)
6. Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Key Retentions: Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav
- Major Buys: Mitchell Marsh, Quinton de Kock, Ashutosh Sharma
- Squad Size: 25 (17 Indian, 8 Overseas)
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Key Retentions: Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Major Buys: Daryl Mitchell, Josh Hazlewood, Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Squad Size: 25 (16 Indian, 9 Overseas)
8. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- Key Retentions: Shikhar Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh, Liam Livingstone
- Major Buys: Marco Jansen, Matt Henry, Siddharth Yadav
- Squad Size: 24 (17 Indian, 7 Overseas)
9. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
- Key Retentions: KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi
- Major Buys: Gus Atkinson, Tom Latham, Yudhvir Singh
- Squad Size: 25 (18 Indian, 7 Overseas)
10. Gujarat Titans (GT)
- Key Retentions: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, David Miller
- Major Buys: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Phil Salt, Kaushal Tambe
- Squad Size: 25 (17 Indian, 8 Overseas)
Biggest Surprises and Snubs
Not every big name found a home:
- Shreyas Iyer NOT retained by KKR? False—he *was* retained. But rumors swirled before the auction.
- Glenn Maxwell goes unsold: After a modest 2025 season, no team triggered a bid for the Aussie star.
- Dinesh Karthik retires: The veteran wicketkeeper-batter announced his playing retirement post-auction.
- Hardik Pandya overlooked: Despite past stardom, no franchise met his base price—likely due to fitness concerns.
Fantasy Cricket: Impact Players to Watch
For fantasy managers, these under-the-radar picks could be gold:
- Priyansh Arya (RR): Explosive top-order batter with a 180+ strike rate in domestic cricket.
- Siddharth Yadav (PBKS): Left-arm quick with lethal inswingers—expected to open the bowling.
- Nitish Reddy (SRH): Indian all-rounder who can bat anywhere and bowl clever seam.
- Ashutosh Sharma (DC): “Pocket-sized destroyer” with 65 sixes in 2024–25 domestic T20s.
What This Means for IPL 2026
The squads reveal a league in transition. Teams like KKR and SRH are going all-in on global experience, while CSK and LSG are blending veterans with high-upside Indian youth. The balance between overseas firepower and homegrown depth has never been more critical .
And with new pitch regulations and DRS in every match, the 2026 season promises to be the most competitive yet.
Conclusion
This IPL 2026 squad list isn’t just a roster—it’s a blueprint for how each franchise plans to conquer the T20 crown. From KKR’s headline-grabbing Green acquisition to CSK’s quiet faith in Indian pipelines, the stage is set for a season full of drama, comebacks, and maybe even a few new heroes. Bookmark this page—you’ll be coming back to it all season long.