In a historic move, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has introduced a groundbreaking rule for the 2026 season, allowing franchises to retain an unlimited number of players. This new policy marks a significant shift in the league’s team-building strategy, offering franchises greater flexibility in maintaining their core squads.
Under the new regulation, teams can now retain their entire lineup if they choose, removing the previous restriction of selecting only a limited number of key players. This decision is expected to reshape team compositions and long-term planning across the tournament.
Instead of worrying about retention caps, teams are now focusing on releasing underperformers and strengthening weak areas, making this one of the most strategic seasons in IPL history.
MS Dhoni Confirms His Return for IPL 2026
In another exciting development, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans received a major boost after franchise CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed that MS Dhoni will return for the 2026 IPL season.
Putting an end to months of speculation about his retirement, Dhoni has reportedly informed CSK management of his availability for the next edition. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter’s presence is expected to once again strengthen CSK’s leadership and inspire younger players in the squad.
“Yes, Dhoni will play the next IPL season,” Viswanathan said. “He has confirmed his availability, and we are delighted to have him continue with us.”
With this confirmation, fans can look forward to another chapter in Dhoni’s illustrious IPL career as he dons the yellow jersey once again.
Probable Retained Players for IPL 2026 Teams
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Shivam Dube, Nathan Ellis, Dewald Brevis, Rachin Ravindra, Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Shaik Rasheed
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Ajinkya Rahane, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Anukul Roy, Mayank Markande, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, Umran Malik
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Ryan Rickelton, Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Raj Angad Bawa, Shrijith Krishnan, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Ashwani Kumar
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Kunal Rathore, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nandre Burger, Ashok Sharma
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gerald Coetzee
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Shreyas Iyer, Josh Inglis, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Suryansh Shedge, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Mayank Yadav, Akash Singh, M. Siddharth, Akash Deep, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Rathi
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Manvanth Kumar, Darshan Nalkande
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, Atharva Taide, Nitish Reddy, Jaydev Unadkat
The IPL 2026 season promises to be one of the most dynamic editions yet, thanks to the unlimited player retention rule. This policy allows franchises to safeguard their strongest cores while fine-tuning performance areas.
And with MS Dhoni confirming his participation, the excitement among fans has reached new heights — ensuring that IPL 2026 will be a season to remember.
