Several high-profile names are set to enter the auction after being offloaded by their respective franchises. However, the highlight of the day was Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) releasing their marquee all-rounder Andre Russell, ending a decade-long association. 
Stay connected with NDTV as we build up towards next month's IPL mini auction. KKR and CSK are expected to trigger intense bidding wars with the best purses among the 10 teams. That's it for the day! 

I will never forget that night in Ahmedabad. Thanks for all the love and support @RCBTweets fans pic.twitter.com/Cas7Bqt1he

— Liam Livingstone (@liaml4893) November 15, 2025

Coach Daniel Vettori's thoughts on SRH's retention strategy: "Wanted to keep nucleus together, happy with how players performed. Happy to go with enough of a purse to target players. Any time you have chance to add quality players who may have not fit elsewhere, hopefully we can identify them and add to our squad."

Kumar Sangakkara, RR Director of Cricket, on team's retentions and trades: "When we look at a good finisher, someone who attacks spin and pace, Donovan Ferreira stands out, has had a good year, a player with great potential. When we looked at it, felt it was the right trade with Nitish. To have him in our bank gives us a big advantage in managing our purse, also the ability to play different combinations having traded Jadeja and Sam Curran. It allows us flexibility to try out different options."

CSK have confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the team in the upcoming IPL season, despite the trade of Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, ending months of suspense. 

LEAD THE WAY, CAPTAIN RUTURAJ GAIKWAD!#WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/EawvX5k2yI

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) November 15, 2025

Purse Available for all 10 teams heading into IPL 2026 Auction:

RCB - Rs 16.4 crore

DC - Rs 21.8 crore

KKR - Rs 64.3 crore

CSK - Rs 43.4 crore

SRH - Rs 35.5 crore

LSG - Rs 22.9 crore

RR - Rs 16.05 crore

GT - Rs12.9 crore

PBKS - Rs11.5 crore

MI - Rs 2.75 crore

Punjab Kings have released Australian all-rounders Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie and wicketerkeeper-batter Josh Inglis along with Indian domestic players Kuldeep Sen and Vishnu Vinod.

PBKS HAS RELEASED JOSH INGLIS pic.twitter.com/U3uwZb7YmY

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 15, 2025

As part of the squad restructuring, Gujarat Titans have released Gerald Coetzee, Karim Janat, Mahipal Lomror, Dasun Shanaka and Kulwant Khejroliya. This comes after Sherfane Rutherford was traded to Mumbai Indians.

GUJARAT TITANS RETAINED & RELEASES !!.. pic.twitter.com/BS6HLBvzbq

— lndian Sports Netwrk (@IS_Netwrk29) November 15, 2025

Following comprehensive evaluations and discussions, Rajasthan Royals have released Kunal Singh Rathore, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma and Kumar Kartikeya. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana were traded to CSK and DC, respectively.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS RETAINED & RELEASED PLAYERS pic.twitter.com/KykAyjJHhU

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 15, 2025

As expected, Jake Fraser-McGurk has been let go by DC. However, the big news is T Nataraj's retention. Off goes Faf du Plessis, while Donovan Ferreira was already traded to Rajasthan Royals. Sediqullah Atal, Manvanth Kumar and Darshan Nalkande have also been offloaded

DELHI CAPITALS RETAINED & RELEASED PLAYERS pic.twitter.com/SmgNJp4eQR

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 15, 2025

SRH release seven players after trading Mohammed Shami to LSG earlier in the day. However, the big news is that Heinrich Klaasen is staying with the Orange Army. Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar are the other prominent names left out of the squad.

SRH RETAINED & RELEASED PLAYERS pic.twitter.com/6UTg4unxsR

— ORANGE ARMY (@SUNRISERSU) November 15, 2025

Ravi Bishnoi and David Miller will enter the auction as LSG have released them and six others, including Shardul Thakur (traded to MI). They will have a purse of Rs 22.95 crore for the auction next month.

LSG RETAINED AND RELEASED PLAYERS LIST. pic.twitter.com/6Jfkuhfg7w

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 15, 2025

Defending champions RCB have released four overseas players, including Liam Livingstone. Blessing Muzarabani, Lungi Ngidi and Tim Seifert join him in the list. Mayank Agarwal and Swastik Chikara have been offloaded as well. They will enter the auction with a kitty of Rs 16.4 crore

Overall a good retention by RCB. Well done pic.twitter.com/Hrw8KRPWoG

— RCBXTRA (@RCBXTRAOFFICIA) November 15, 2025

Mumbai Indians have released four overseas players, but none of them played regularly last season. Out go Lizaad Williams, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bevon Jacobs and Reece Topley. Vignesh Puthur, the left-arm wrist spinner, and Andhra seamer V Satyanarayana Raju are the other names. Arjun Tendulkar is also part of the list, having been traded to LSG few hours back.

Mumbai Indians TATA IPL 2026 Retentions OUT!
Core stays strong with Rohit,SKY, Hardik, Bumrah, Boult, Tilak & more
Purse left: 2.75 Cr
Slots left: 5 (1 Overseas)
Thoughts on MI's bold retention calls? #MumbaiIndians #IPL2026 #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/Fkm1iFQiao

— Haryuksh Sharma 10 (@Harryhs06) November 15, 2025

KKR offload nine players, including Andre Russell! Venkatesh Iyer, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Moeen Ali, Spencer Johnson and Chetan Sakariya are the other names. They will enter the auction with a purse of Rs 64.3 crore.

BIG STARS RELEASED BY KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS pic.twitter.com/jBpEbDCq5Z

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 15, 2025

CSK have released 11 players, including Ravindra Jadeja (traded). The list included four overseas players in Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana and Sam Curran (traded to Rajasthan Royals). 

Andre Siddarth goes out (without getting a game), as do Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Shaikh Rasheed and Vijay Shankar. Dewald Brewis remains as expected, as does Gurjapneet Singh

THE RETAIN AND RELEASED PLAYERS OF CSK. pic.twitter.com/BCRw9FKK43

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 15, 2025

According to ESPNcricinfo, Russell's association with KKR could come to an end as the three-time champions are set to release their long-serving all-rounder. Russell had a subdued IPL 2025 campaign, prompting the franchise to look for a younger, more reliable option for the future. 

Another update coming in from Mumbai Indians camp! England all-rounder Will Jacks has been retained by the franchise, according to ESPNcricinfo. He was bought by MI for Rs 5.25 crore at the mega auction last year.

T Natarajan to stay at Delhi Capitals! Signed for Rs 10.75 crore, Natarajan was seemed to be heading out of the team. However, ESPNcricinfo now reports that he is set to remain with the team. He struggled with injuries last season, but has now recovered fully and is fit and firing.

The likes of Mahipal Lomror, Karim Janat, Gerald Coetzee, Kulwant Khejroliya and Dasun Shanakar are all set to be released by Gujarat Titans (GT). Not surprising at all. For the unversed, the 2022 champions have already traded of West Indies finisher Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians through an all-cash deal.

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) might enter the mini auction for a new leg-spinner as they have reportedly released Adam Zampa (Rs 2.4 crore) and Rahul Chahar (Rs 3.2 crore), according to a report in Cricbuzz. They do have Zeeshan Ansari and Harsh Dubey amongst their ranks, but need a proven candidate.

While it seemed that Josh Inglis was set to stay at PBKS, it has now been reported by Cricbuzz that last year's beaten finalists are set to release the wicketkeeper-batter. He was bought at the mega auction last year for only Rs 2.5 crore. KKR could benefit from this decision as they have reportedly released all of their keepers ahead of the mini auction. They might bid for the Australian stumper

Punjab Kings are set to retain their overseas core, reports ESPNcricinfo. Among the overseas players include Marcus Stoinis, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Xavier Bartlett and Mitchell Owen. It will be the end of the road for the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie and Kyle Jamieson.

According to Cricbuzz, DC are set to retain KL Rahul, which means that his reported move to KKR is off the table. The former PBKS captain Rahul had joined DC for Rs 14 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The report added that DC will also keep T Natarajan, bought at a price of Rs 10.75 cr last year. SRH would have seriously pursued him if he had been released but DC, it seems, will persist with the Tamil Nadu pacer

According to a report, KKR are set to release at least seven players before the auction, including Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for Rs 23.75 crore at the mega auction last year. This could free up as many as Rs 38.65 crore from their purse.

Here are the players likely to be released by KKR:

Moeen Ali - Rs 2cr

Luvnith Sisodia - Rs 30L

Rahmanullah Gurbaz - Rs 2cr

Chetan Sakariya - Rs 50L

Venkatesh Iyer - Rs 23.75cr

Quinton de Kock - Rs 3.6 cr

Anrich Nortje - Rs 6.5 cr

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) could free up another Rs 13 crore as they are set to release Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, according to a report in Cricbuzz. Pathirana joined CSK in 2022, when he played two games and took two wickets. The following year, he had a breakthrough season, playing 12 games and claiming 19 wickets. In 2024, he continued his impressive form, picking up 13 wickets in six games. However, he endured a disappointing campaign last year, managing just 13 wickets while leaking runs at over 10 per over.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, Delhi Capitals are set to release Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Harry Brook and Mohit Sharma ahead of the upcoming IPL auctions. Faf, a three-time IPL winner, joined DC at the mega auction last season after being released by RCB.

Ravindra Jadeja described his return to RR as homecoming. 

"RR gave me my first platform and my first taste of victory. Coming back feels special - it's not just a team for me, it's home. RR is where I won my first IPL, and I hope to win more with this current group of players."

CSK MD Kasi Viswanathan discussed the franchise trading their key all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to Rajasthan Royals.

Viswanathan stated that the decision was mutual, and the players believed a change was necessary.

"Chennai Super Kings, as you know, have traded Jadeja and Sam Curran for Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals. As a franchise, you might know that over the years, we have not used the path of trading, except for one year when we got Robin Uthappa. The team management felt the need for a top-order Indian batsman. And since not many Indian batsmen are going to be available at the auction, we thought the best way to get an Indian top-order batter is to go through the trade window.

South Africa batter Donovan Ferreira returns to his old franchise Rajasthan Royals, leaving Delhi Capitals. The trade deal also sees his salary being increased to Rs 1 crore per year, from Rs 75 lakh per year that he earned at DC.

Uncapped leg-spinner Mayank Markande will return to his former franchise, the Mumbai Indians (MI), following a successful trade from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He joins MI for his existing fee of INR 30 lakh.

Markande began his IPL career with MI, representing the franchise in 2018, 2019 and 2022, before turning out for Rajasthan Royals in 2021 and Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023 and 2024. He has featured in a total of 37 IPL matches, taking 37 wickets.

Rajasthan Royals batter Nitish Rana will now represent Delhi Capitals (DC) following a trade from Rajasthan Royals (RR). He will continue at his existing fee of INR 4.2 crore, which RR had bid for at the auction ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Ahead of the trade confirmation, Rana was heavily linked with a possible move to CSK. Ravichandran Ashwin had urged the Super Kings to target the ex-KKR captain at the auction, amid the buzz around the transfer of Jadeja and Currant to RR. But, the Royals made the swoop for Rana even before he could enter the auction. 

Ravindra Jadeja, after spending 12 years at CSK, is set for a return to the franchise where he started his IPL career, Rajasthan Royals. The all-rounder, who earned Rs 18 crore per season at CSK, has joined RR after agreeing to take a pay cut. Jadeja will now earn a salary of Rs 14 crore per year at the Royals, the reduction has been confirmed by IPL.

Though Arjun Tendulkar didn't play many games for MI, the franchise paid a beautiful tribute to the all-rounder as he joins LSG for a new adventure.

Thank you, Arjun for being a valued member of the Mumbai Indians family
Everyone at MI wishes you the very best for the next chapter of your journey with Lucknow Super Giants
We are proud to have been a part of your development and look forward to seeing you continue to… pic.twitter.com/KYIxqjOtLb

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 15, 2025

In another notable move, Arjun Tendulkar, son of Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, has joined LSG for his existing price of Rs 30 lakh. First picked by MI at the 2021 IPL auction, he made his IPL debut for the franchise in 2023.

Another big deal - Veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami is moving from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a fee of Rs 10 crore. 

The BCCI has confirmed that 8 trade deals have gone through, including the high-profile moves featuring CSK and Rajasthan Royals. 

1.  Ravindra Jadeja to RR

2. Sanju Samson to CSK

3. Sam Curran to RR

4. Mohammed Shami to LSG

5. Arjun Tendulkar to LSG

6. Mayank Markande to MI

7. Nitish Rana to DC

8. Donovan Ferreira to RR

OFFICIAL: Sanju Samson has joined CSK! Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran have gone to RR! The long negotiations have finally ended, and Samson's 11-year relationship with Rajasthan Royals comes to an end! 

With several overseas stars on their way out, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be keen to sign a quality all-rounder. According to multiple reports, CSK are looking for a trade deal involving Glenn Maxwell, who is set to be released by the Punjab Kings. However, nothing concrete has emerged so far

Hello and good morning! The IPL Retention deadline is today, and the Sanju Samson-Ravindra Jadeja trade is the biggest story leading up to it! Reports this morning confirm that the blockbuster deal between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) is all but complete and approved by the BCCI, with an official announcement expected later today.