retention list released, all teams have begun strategizing for the mini-auction in December, seeking suitable replacements to fill gaps. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad has announced the appointment of Pat Cummins as captain. This means that nine teams have finalized their captains for the 19th season of the IPL. Simply put, these are the teams that have not made or will not make any changes to their captains. However, new faces may emerge for the vice-captaincy role. All eyes are now on the Rajasthan Royals, which will have to choose a new captain after the departure of Sanju Samson.
IPL 2026 Captains
Chennai Super Kings – Ruturaj Gaikwad
Sunrisers Hyderabad – Pat Cummins
Gujarat Titans – Shubman Gill
Lucknow Super Giants – Rishabh Pant
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Rajat Patidar
Delhi Capitals – Axar Patel
Punjab Kings – Shreyas Iyer
Mumbai Indians – Hardik Pandya
Kolkata Knight Riders – Ajinkya Rahane
Rajasthan Royals – Not decided yet
Sanju Samson will get a new responsibility in CSK
In fact, there are indications that CSK may appoint Sanju Samson, their new signing after the trade with Rajasthan Royals, as their vice-captain. MS Dhoni will undoubtedly continue in his leadership role, but the opener is also expected to be given responsibility in Chennai. Meanwhile, with Sanju’s departure from Rajasthan Royals, a new captain will have to be selected. Reports suggest Ravindra Jadeja will be given the captaincy. In such a scenario, one of Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, or Yashasvi Jaiswal could be appointed as the vice-captain. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, may choose Shashank Singh for this role.
As for IPL 2026 retentions, there were some surprising player exits. Chennai Super Kings released Devon Conway and Mathisha Pathirana, Mumbai Indians let go of Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Delhi Capitals said goodbye to Faf du Plessis. Royal Challengers Bangalore released David Miller and Ravi Bishnoi. KKR somehow managed to release Andre Russell.
IPL 2026 auction on December 16
The IPL 2026 auction is now scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16. Furthermore, it will only be a one-day event, as it is a short auction and there are not many spots left for all the franchises.