IPL 2026 Retention Rules: How many players can a franchise retain before 15 November deadline? All you need to know – livemint.com

It’s that time of the year when the whole country starts talking about the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). With the deadline nearing for IPL 2026 retentions, the buzz has already started with teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians attracting more eyeballs.
Unlike the previous season, this time, it will be a mini-auction as most teams have already zeroed in on their final retention list. In addition to that, some major trade deals are also taking place in the background.
Unlike the mega auction, a mini auction doesn’t limit the IPL franchises on the number of retentions. According to the tournament rules, an IPL franchise needs to have a maximum of 25 players and the total purse for each franchise will be around ₹120 crore.
The deadline for the IPL 2026 retention is 15 November (Saturday). The list of retained and released players for each franchise will be announced around 5 PM IST.
Although an official date for the IPL 2026 auction is yet to be announced, it is believed that it will be between December 13 and 16. Like the previous season, the IPL 2026 auction is likely to be hosted outside India. It is likely to happen in Abu Dhabi, as per reports. Jeddah in Saudi Arabia hosted the IPL 2025 auction.
Star Sports is the official broadcasting partner of the Indian Premier League. The IPL 2026 retention will be telecast live on Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 (Hindi), Star Sports 2 (Tamil), Star Sports 2 (Telugu) and Star Sports 2 (Malayalam) from 5 PM IST. Live streaming of IPL 2026 retention will be available on the JioStar app and website.
RCB are the defending champions in IPL. Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB defeated Punjab Kings in the final by six runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, in the final, thus ending their 18-year title drought. Mumbai Indians and CSK are the most successful sides in IPL with five trophies each. KKR are the second-highest successful side with three titles.
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