The IPL 2026 Mega Auction and all those crazy trades are finally over. Things look super different now compared to just a few months ago. Teams spent big, records got broken, and some shocking trades happened.
Can you believe Sanju Samson is now with CSK, Rishabh Pant is playing for LSG, and Jadeja moved to RR? And KKR went all out to get Cameron Green.
Now that the year is almost over, some teams are all set, while others still have cash to spare for new players.
Here’s the only guide you’ll need with the final team lists, big player moves, and how much money each team has left before IPL 2026.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Analysis: The defending champions entered the auction with a clear plan: aggression. They retained their core domestic finishing power (Rinku, Ramandeep) and spin wizardry (Narine, Varun). But at the auction, they blew the roof off the building. Spending a record-shattering INR 25.20 Cr on allrounder Cameron Green shows they want dominance. Adding Matheesha Pathirana gives them a lethal death-bowling option. Despite the massive spending, they still have a decent purse left, perhaps for backup Indian talent.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 19.1 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 4
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.
- Auction Buys (Batters): None listed.
- Auction Buys (Wicketkeepers): Finn Allen (INR 2 Cr).
- Auction Buys (Allrounders): Cameron Green (INR 25.20 Cr).
- Auction Buys (Spinners): None listed.
- Auction Buys (Pacers): Matheesha Pathirana (INR 18 Cr).
2. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Analysis: The biggest news out of Chennai isn’t an auction buy, but a trade and a retention. Thala MS Dhoni returns for yet another season, and they pulled off a massive coup by trading for Sanju Samson, presumably as the long-term successor behind the stumps and a top-order linchpin alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Interestingly, CSK was very quiet at the auction, only picking up spinner Akeal Hosein. They are sitting on a gargantuan INR 41.4 Cr purse. Are they planning mid-season transfers, or did they miss their targets?
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 41.4 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 3
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Sanju Samson (traded), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel.
- Auction Buys (Spinners): Akeal Hosein (INR 2 Cr).
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Analysis: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. SRH has doubled down on the ultra-aggressive approach that defined their recent success. They have retained the most destructive opening pair in Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, alongside Heinrich Klaasen and captain Pat Cummins. The addition of Ishan Kishan via retention gives them even more top-order firepower. They haven’t made notable auction moves yet, but with a solid core and a healthy purse, they are in a strong position.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 25.5 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 2
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, Brydon Carse, Eshan Malinga, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, Jaydev Unadkat, Kamindu Mendis, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins, Smaran Ravichandaran, Travis Head, Zeeshan Ansari.
- Auction Buys: None listed yet.
4. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Analysis: LSG has undergone a massive makeover. The headline is Rishabh Pant, who arrives as a marquee player to partner with Nicholas Pooran in the middle order. They also traded for veteran pacer Mohammed Shami. LSG was incredibly smart at the auction, picking up world-class talent in Wanindu Hasaranga and Anrich Nortje for steal prices of INR 2 Cr each. With pace sensation, Mayank Yadav retained, their bowling attack looks fearsome.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 18.95 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 2
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Akash Singh, Arjun Tendulkar (traded), Arshin Kulkarni, Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Digvesh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Manimaran Siddharth, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav, Mohammed Shami (traded), Mitchell Marsh, Mohsin Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Prince Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shahbaz Ahmed.
- Auction Buys (Spinners): Wanindu Hasaranga (INR 2 Cr).
- Auction Buys (Pacers): Anrich Nortje (INR 2 Cr).
5. Delhi Capitals (DC)
Analysis: A new era begins in Delhi with KL Rahul joining the squad, likely to take the leadership reins. They retained their spin twin core of Axar and Kuldeep, along with finisher Tristan Stubbs. Like LSG, Delhi made some astute budget buys at the auction, securing proven international performers David Miller and Ben Duckett for just 2 Cr apiece. Their batting order now boasts serious experience to complement their explosive young talent.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 17.8 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 3
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Abhishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, Nitish Rana (traded), Sameer Rizvi, T. Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam.
- Auction Buys (Batters): David Miller (INR 2 Cr).
- Auction Buys (Wicketkeepers): Ben Duckett (INR 2 Cr).
6. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Analysis: RCB seems to have prioritized balance this cycle. Virat Kohli remains the fulcrum. They have retained high-impact players like Phil Salt, Tim David, and excellent Indian pacer Yash Dayal. Their biggest auction splash was bringing in allrounder Venkatesh Iyer for INR 7 Cr, adding crucial balance to the middle order. With only 7.4 Cr left and just one overseas slot, their squad is nearly finalized.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 7.4 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 1
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Nuwan Thushara, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Dar, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal.
- Auction Buys (Allrounders): Venkatesh Iyer (INR 7 Cr).
- Auction Buys (Pacers): Jacob Duffy (INR 2 Cr).
7. Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Analysis: The Royals made jaws drop during the trade window. While they lost Sanju Samson, they brought in two massive allrounder assets in Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran via trades. Paired with retained young guns Jaiswal and Parag, and a returning Jofra Archer, their core is terrifying. They added Ravi Bishnoi at the auction to beef up the spin department. Their purse is low, but their starting XI looks incredibly potent.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 8.85 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 1
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira (traded), Jofra Archer, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-Dre Pretorious, Nandre Burger, Ravindra Jadeja (traded), Riyan Parag, Sam Curran (traded), Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Charak.
- Auction Buys (Spinners): Ravi Bishnoi (INR 7.20 Cr).
8. Gujarat Titans (GT)
Analysis: The Titans have stuck to their guns, retaining a highly successful core led by Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan. The pace duo of Shami and Siraj has been split, with Shami moving to LSG, but GT has retained Siraj and Rabada, ensuring their bowling remains top-tier. They have been very quiet regarding new acquisitions, relying heavily on their proven performers. They have money in the bank and four overseas slots, suggesting they might be looking for replacement players later.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 12.9 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 4
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Mohammad Siraj, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Prasidh Krishna, R. Sai Kishore, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar.
- Auction Buys: None listed yet.
9. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Analysis: Is 2026 the year Punjab finally turns it around? They have built a powerful Indian core. Securing Shreyas Iyer gives them the stable captaincy they have desperately needed. Retaining Arshdeep Singh and adding Yuzvendra Chahal to the mix gives them genuine wicket-takers. The squad looks more balanced than in previous years, focusing on Indian talent over flighty overseas stars.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 11.5 Cr
- Overseas slots available: 2
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Arshdeep Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Owen, Musheer Khan, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal.
- Auction Buys: None listed yet.
10. Mumbai Indians (MI)
Analysis: The Mumbai Indians have gone “all-in” on their superstars. They managed to retain their “Big Four”—Hardik Pandya (captain), Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav. To fit them all in, sacrifices had to be made elsewhere. They picked up Quinton de Kock for a steal at INR 1 Cr, a crucial buy. However, look at that purse. With only 1.75 Cr left and zero overseas slots remaining, MI’s business is finished. They are relying entirely on their star power, staying fit and firing.
At A Glance:
- Purse Remaining: INR 1.75 Cr
- Overseas slots available: Nil
Final Squad Breakdown:
- Retentions: Allah Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande (traded), Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Shardul Thakur (traded), Sherfane Rutherford (traded), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, Will Jacks.
- Auction Buys (Wicketkeepers): Quinton de Kock (INR 1 Cr).