The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 franchises announced their retention lists on Saturday, November 15, coinciding with the retention deadline day. All ten teams had the provision to retain and release as many players as they wished ahead of the 2026 Auction, scheduled for December in Abu Dhabi.
Top-performing sides like IPL 2025 finalists Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have opted to retain the majority of their squads owing to their recent success. Meanwhile, teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and other franchises that finished in the bottom half of the table have made numerous releases in a bid to rebuild at the auction.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at one surprise retention by each team ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction.
### 1. Sunrisers Hyderabad – Brydon Carse
SRH parted ways with most of their bowlers, including spearhead Mohammad Shami. However, they made a surprising decision to retain England pacer Brydon Carse, despite already having prolific overseas seamers like Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga, and the prospect of potentially acquiring more players through the auction.
Carse is yet to play an IPL match after being ruled out with an injury ahead of the 2025 season. While he has established himself as an improved red-ball bowler for England in Tests, his consistency and performance in the short-format remain unproven despite his evident potential.
### 2. Gujarat Titans – Anuj Rawat
GT retained three wicket-keepers: Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, and Anuj Rawat. With England international Jos Buttler as their first choice and young prospect Kushagra showing promise, Rawat’s retention raises eyebrows.
The left-handed batter has struggled in domestic cricket recently, recording a duck in his most recent appearance for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, making his place in the squad seem more as a backup presence than a key player.
### 3. Lucknow Super Giants – Mayank Yadav
LSG faced a tough call with Mayank Yadav, who holds a retention value of INR 11 crore in the total purse. Despite featuring in just two matches last season and ongoing concerns around injuries and workload, the franchise chose to retain him for the upcoming season.
Yadav has not played since the IPL 2025 campaign, and the absence of progress or assurances regarding his fitness make this retention decision seem like a significant gamble.
### 4. Delhi Capitals – T Natarajan
Delhi Capitals invested heavily in left-arm pacer T Natarajan during the mega auction, acquiring him for INR 10.75 crore, making him their most expensive Indian purchase.
Primed to be their chief death bowler, Natarajan played only two matches last season, bowling just three overs in total without claiming any wickets. Although he had a decent TNPL campaign in July, his price tag makes DC’s decision risky, especially when alternatives could have been explored or acquiring him at a potentially lower price.
### 5. Kolkata Knight Riders – Manish Pandey
KKR made several wholesale releases to accumulate a large purse but made the surprising choice to retain veteran Manish Pandey amid this clearout.
At 36 years old, Pandey contributed some late-season cameos last season but is unlikely to be part of the franchise’s long-term plans. He has not been involved in major competitive cricket since IPL 2025, and retaining him as backup rather than promoting emerging talent raises questions about squad strategy.
### 6. Chennai Super Kings – Jamie Overton
CSK, the franchise with the most player releases this season, surprisingly included England all-rounder Jamie Overton in their retention list, despite his underwhelming IPL 2025 performances.
Overton scored just 15 runs across three matches and failed to take any wickets, carrying an economy rate of 13.83. While he has shown promise in England’s domestic circuit and the Big Bash League (BBL), he has struggled to replicate similar success in the IPL.
### 7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – Rasikh Salam
RCB invested INR 6 crore in Rasikh Salam during the mega auction, making him their third most expensive Indian signing after Jitesh Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
However, with RCB’s first-choice bowling unit performing strongly, Salam played just two matches in IPL 2025, picking up only one wicket at an average of 70 and an economy rate of 11.67. Retaining a backup player at such a price point invites some skepticism.
### 8. Punjab Kings – Lockie Ferguson
Punjab Kings boast a deep pool of overseas pace all-rounders and pacers, so the decision to retain the injury-prone New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson surprised many.
Ferguson had an unimpressive IPL campaign before his injury, and while he showed decent form in the 2025 MLC and The Hundred post-IPL, it was not sufficiently compelling to justify retaining him and claiming a valuable overseas slot.
### 9. Rajasthan Royals – Shimron Hetmyer
West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer was a surprise retention at the 2025 mega auction and remains so for 2026, particularly regarding value for money.
RR paid INR 11 crore for the explosive finisher, but Hetmyer’s underperformance coincided with the team dropping crucial points due to failing to close out games. Furthermore, with the addition of in-form middle-order hitter Donovan Ferreira, maintaining Hetmyer’s spot is unexpected.
### 10. Mumbai Indians – Will Jacks
The five-time champions have retained most of their core players, but one decision stands out — the retention of England all-rounder Will Jacks.
In IPL 2025, Jacks appeared as a floater in a dynamic batting lineup, without a fixed role. Although comfortable in the top three, his retention raises questions since Mumbai Indians are expected to push Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma for those key positions. Additionally, the franchise has already added specialist middle-order hitter Sherfane Rutherford, further complicating Jacks’ spot in the team.
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These surprising retention decisions underscore the unique strategies and calculated risks franchises are taking ahead of the 2026 IPL Auction. As teams gear up to make their moves in Abu Dhabi, all eyes will be on how these choices play out in the upcoming season.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/one-surprise-retention-team-ahead-ipl-2026-auction-ft-t-natarajan