All the 10 IPL franchises are set to finalise their player rosters by Saturday, November 15, as they must confirm their lists of released and retained players ahead of the 2026 mini-auction. According to reports, the teams have been instructed to submit their final lists by a 3 PM IST deadline on November 15.
Since the 2026 event is a mini-auction, the rules provide significant flexibility, allowing teams to retain as many players as they wish. The main constraint is that their total squad size must not exceed the 25-player limit. To build their squads, each franchise is reportedly set to be given a substantial purse of around 120 crore for the auction.
The period leading up to retention day has been marked by plenty of action and speculation. While a few significant player trades have already been completed, some other much-hyped exchanges have not come to fruition. As the deadline nears, fans and experts are eagerly awaiting the final announcements to see which star players will be released back into the auction pool and which will be retained.
The live telecast of the IPL 2026 player retentions will be widely available across India via the Star Sports network. Coverage is scheduled to begin at 5 PM IST on Saturday, and will be broadcast across multiple channels, including Star Sports 2, with dedicated feeds in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. For digital viewers, the live streaming of the retention announcements can be followed on both the JioHotstar app and its corresponding website.
How to watch IPL 2026 Retentions Live Streaming?
The IPL 2026 player retention will be livestreamed on the JioHotstar app for free.
IPL 2026 Retentions' TV Broadcast
The IPL 2026 player retention will be telecast live on the Star Sports network.
When to Watch IPL 2026 Retentions?
The IPL 2026 player retention will be held on Saturday, November 15
The lead-up to the retention deadline has already seen several interesting player trades. Among the officially confirmed movements, all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been traded from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to Mumbai Indians (MI) for his existing player fee of Rs 2 crore. Additionally, the West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford has also moved to MI from Gujarat Titans (GT) for his existing price of Rs 2.6 crore.
Beyond these confirmed exchanges, multiple high-profile trades have been widely reported, although they await official confirmation. Reports indicate that Rajasthan Royals (RR) have traded wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for the services of all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Further rumored moves include MI trading Arjun Tendulkar to LSG for Rs 30 lakh, and Mohammad Shami reportedly moving from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to LSG in an all-cash deal valued at Rs 10 crore.