IPL 2026 Auction: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 retentions have been officially announced, bringing several surprises that are set to reshape the league ahead of the December 16 auction. The most shocking news is the release of Andre Russell by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), ending an 11-year association that included two IPL titles.
Alongside Russell, notable players such as Matheesha Pathirana, Glenn Maxwell, Liam Livingstone, Venkatesh Iyer, and Josh Inglis are also set to enter the auction, promising an exciting bidding war.
With retentions finalised, franchises now turn their focus to the auction, strategising on how to utilise their remaining purse to strengthen squads for the upcoming season.
Which Team Has The Biggest Purse In IPL 2026?
Here’s a breakdown of the remaining budgets for each IPL 2026 franchise:
1. How Much Purse Does Kolkata Knight Riders Have?
KKR enters the auction with the largest purse of Rs 64.3 crore. Under the leadership of head coach Abhishek Nayar, supported by Shane Watson and Tim Southee, the franchise faces the challenge of rebuilding after parting ways with Andre Russell.
2. How Much Purse Does Chennai Super Kings Have?
Chennai Super Kings have Rs 43.4 crore at their disposal. After finishing last in IPL 2025, CSK have released ten players, including Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, and Matheesha Pathirana. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side is clearly aiming for a major squad overhaul.
3. How Much Purse Does Sunrisers Hyderabad Have?
SRH, captained by Pat Cummins, freed up Rs 25.5 crore by releasing six players: Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, and Sachin Baby. The team aims to rebalance their squad ahead of the new season.
4. How Much Purse Does Lucknow Supergiants Have?
Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Supergiants enter the auction with Rs 22.9 crore after releasing seven players, including David Miller, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Aryan Juyal, and Shamar Joseph. This gives them flexibility to rethink their core lineup.
5. How Much Purse Does Delhi Capitals Have?
Delhi Capitals have Rs 21.8 crore available. They parted ways with six players, most notably Faf du Plessis, alongside Jake Fraser-McGurk and Sediqullah Atal among overseas players, and Indian players Mohit Sharma, Manvanth Kumar, and Darshan Nalkande.
6. How Much Purse Does Royal Challengers Bangalore Have?
Defending champions RCB have Rs 16.4 crore to spend after releasing Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Mayank Agarwal, and Swatik Chikara. With the core of their squad largely intact, the team is expected to focus on fine-tuning and strategic buys.
7. How Much Purse Does Rajasthan Royals Have?
RR enter the auction with Rs 16.05 crore after releasing Sri Lankan spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, along with Fazalhaq Farooqi. Domestic departures include Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Kunal Rathore, and Kumar Kartikeya.
8. How Much Purse Does Gujarat Titans Have?
Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans have Rs 12.9 crore in the kitty. They released five players: Karim Janat, Gerald Coetzee, Dasun Shanaka, Mahipal Lomror, and Kulwant Khejroliya, giving them room to strategise ahead of the auction.
9. How Much Purse Does Punjab Kings Have?
Punjab Kings, last season’s runners-up, enter the auction with Rs 11.5 crore. Shreyas Iyer’s squad released Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, and Aaron Hardie, along with Indians Praveen Dubey and Kuldeep Sen.
10. How Much Purse Does Mumbai Indians Have?
Mumbai Indians have the smallest purse at Rs 2.75 crore. MI released four overseas players, Lizaad Williams, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bevon Jacobs, and Reece Topley—along with uncapped Indians Vignesh Puthur and D Satyanarayana Raju. Hardik Pandya’s side will need to focus on strategic, low-budget acquisitions to stay competitive.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
