IPL 2026 Final Squads: Sanju Samson in CSK, Pant leads LSG – Complete List of All 10 Teams & Purse Details
The IPL 2026 Auction has concluded, and it has been nothing short of historic. The dynamics of the league have shifted dramatically. While MS Dhoni remains the heartbeat of Chennai, the biggest headline is Sanju Samson trading his pink jersey for yellow. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant starts a new chapter with Lucknow Super Giants, and Ravindra Jadeja returns to his roots at Rajasthan Royals.
If you are a cricket fanatic, this is the only guide you need. Below is the deep-dive analysis of the IPL 2026 All Teams Squads, Top Auction Buys, and Remaining Purse.
1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – The Thala & Sanju Era
Analysis: CSK has pulled off the coup of the decade. The trade for Sanju Samson while retaining MS Dhoni is a dream scenario for the Chepauk faithful. By retaining the core of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube, they have ensured stability. In the auction, they surprised everyone by splashing big on uncapped talents like Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer (INR 14.20 Cr each), showing their faith in scouting.
Biggest Shock: Sanju Samson (Traded).
Strengths: A rock-solid Indian batting core (Ruturaj, Sanju, Dube, Dhoni).
Weakness: Zero overseas slots available; flexibility might be an issue.
CSK Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (Traded), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre.
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel.
Allrounders: Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes.
Spinners: Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal, Akeal Hosein, Rahul Chahar.
Pacers: Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Matt Henry, Ramakrishna Ghosh.
Purse Remaining: INR 2.40 Cr Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
2. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – The Billion Dollar Team?
Analysis: KKR did not just participate in the auction; they dominated it. They broke the bank for Cameron Green (INR 25.20 Cr), making him one of the most expensive assets in history. But the masterstroke might be acquiring Matheesha Pathirana (INR 18 Cr). Imagine facing Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy in the middle overs, only to face Pathirana's yorkers at the death!
Key Buy: Cameron Green (INR 25.20 Cr) – The ultimate all-rounder package.
Power Factor: The finishing duo of Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh.
KKR Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Rahul Tripathi.
Wicketkeepers: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Tejasvi Singh.
Allrounders: Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Cameron Green, Rachin Ravindra, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra.
Spinners: Varun Chakaravarthy, Prashant Solanki.
Pacers: Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman, Akash Deep, Kartik Tyagi.
Purse Remaining: INR 45 Lakh Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
“…you can read the full analysis here which explains the key auction decisions.”
3. Mumbai Indians (MI) – The Return of QDK
Analysis: Mumbai Indians kept it simple: retain the best, buy back the rest. With Rohit, Hardik, Bumrah, and Surya already retained, they secured their former opener Quinton de Kock for a steal at INR 1 Cr. The bowling lineup looks lethal with Trent Boult partnering with Jasprit Bumrah.
Key Factor: The destructive middle order of Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma.
Best Buy: Quinton de Kock (INR 1 Cr) – Absolute value for money.
MI Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Danish Malewar.
Wicketkeepers: Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock.
Allrounders: Hardik Pandya, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Raj Angad Bawa, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat.
Spinners: Mayank Markande, AM Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma.
Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ashwani Kumar, Mohammad Izhar.
Purse Remaining: INR 55 Lakh Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
4. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – King Kohli & Venky Iyer
Analysis: RCB has strengthened their Indian core significantly. Venkatesh Iyer (INR 7 Cr) joins Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar, adding a left-handed explosive option ideal for the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The bowling looks balanced with the experience of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Surprise: Krunal Pandya in the squad adds a crucial spin-bowling all-rounder option they often lacked.
Pace Attack: Hazlewood + Bhuvi + Yash Dayal.
RCB Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, Abhinandan Singh, Vihaan Malhotra.
Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Jordan Cox.
Allrounders: Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal.
Spinners: Suyash Sharma, Vicky Ostwal.
Pacers: Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Dar, Nuwan Thushara, Jacob Duffy, Kanishk Chouhan.
Purse Remaining: INR 25 Lakh Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
5. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – The Pant Era Begins
Analysis: LSG has hit the refresh button. Rishabh Pant is the new face of the franchise. Combined with Nicholas Pooran, their middle order is devastating. But the real story is their pace battery: Mayank Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Anrich Nortje. This is arguably the fastest bowling attack in the competition.
Pace Battery: Mayank Yadav + Nortje + Shami + Mohsin Khan. Pure speed.
Wicketkeeper: A problem of plenty with Pant and Josh Inglis (INR 8.60 Cr).
LSG Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuwanshi.
Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Josh Inglis, Mukul Choudhary.
Allrounders: Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Prince Yadav.
Spinners: Manimaran Siddharth, Wanindu Hasaranga.
Pacers: Mayank Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Akash Singh, Digvesh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari.
Purse Remaining: INR 4.55 Cr Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
6. Rajasthan Royals (RR) – The Trade Masters
Analysis: RR won the strategy game before the auction even began. Trading in Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran makes them incredibly balanced. Yashaswi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag lead the batting, while buying back Ravi Bishnoi (INR 7.20 Cr) ensures their spin attack remains elite.
Spin Twins: Jadeja and Bishnoi on Jaipur tracks will be dangerous.
X-Factor: Jofra Archer – If he stays fit, RR is the team to beat.
RR Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Yashaswi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aman Rao.
Wicketkeepers: Dhruv Jurel, Lhuan-Dre Pretorious, Donovan Ferreira, Ravi Singh.
Allrounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Riyan Parag.
Spinners: Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur.
Pacers: Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Yudhvir Charak, Sushant Mishra, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen, Brijesh Sharma.
Purse Remaining: INR 2.65 Cr Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
7. Delhi Capitals (DC) – KL Rahul meets Starc
Analysis: DC solved their leadership void by bringing in KL Rahul. To support him, they have the pace of Mitchell Starc and the mystery of Kuldeep Yadav. A massive steal in the auction was David Miller for just INR 2 Cr. They also took a gamble by re-signing Prithvi Shaw for 75 Lakhs.
Power Hitting: Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, and Ben Duckett.
Steal of the Auction: David Miller at INR 2 Cr.
DC Full Squad 2026:
Batters: KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, David Miller, Pathum Nissanka, Prithvi Shaw, Sahil Parak.
Wicketkeepers: Abhishek Porel, Ben Duckett.
Allrounders: Axar Patel, Nitish Rana, Ajay Mandal, Auqib Nabi, Vipraj Nigam, Tripurana Vijay.
Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav.
Pacers: Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, T. Natarajan, Dushmantha Chameera, Madhav Tiwari, Lungi Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson.
Purse Remaining: INR 35 Lakh Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – Batting Powerhouse
Analysis: SRH continues their philosophy of "Out-bat the opposition." With Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen, they were already dangerous. Adding Liam Livingstone (INR 13 Cr) just makes it unfair. They have invested in young Indian pacers to support Pat Cummins.
Batting Depth: Head, Abhishek, Nitish Reddy, Klaasen, Livingstone. Expect 250+ scores.
Captain: Pat Cummins remains at the helm.
SRH Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandaran.
Wicketkeepers: Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, Salil Arora.
Allrounders: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kamindu Mendis, Liam Livingstone, Jack Edwards, Shivang Kumar.
Spinners: Harsh Dubey, Zeeshan Ansari, Amit Kumar, Krains Fuletra.
Pacers: Pat Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Eshan Malinga, Shivam Mavi, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Praful Hinge.
Purse Remaining: INR 5.45 Cr Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
9. Gujarat Titans (GT) – Gill & Rashid Show
Analysis: GT retained their core in Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan. The presence of Jos Buttler (Retained) ensures explosive starts. In the auction, they focused on all-rounders, picking up Jason Holder. Interestingly, they are the only team with 1 Overseas Slot remaining, leaving room for a future replacement if needed.
Bowling Strength: Rashid Khan, Mohammad Siraj, and Kagiso Rabada forms a world-class trio.
GT Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips.
Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Tom Banton.
Allrounders: Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder.
Spinners: Rashid Khan, R. Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar.
Pacers: Mohammad Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Luke Wood, Ashok Sharma, Prithvi Raj.
Purse Remaining: INR 1.45 Cr Overseas Slots: 1 Available
10. Punjab Kings (PBKS) – Stability with Shreyas
Analysis: Known for constantly changing squads, PBKS finally looks stable with Shreyas Iyer likely leading the side. Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh will lead the bowling attack. Marcus Stoinis provides the muscle in the middle order. They spent big on Ben Dwarshuis (INR 4.40 Cr) to fix their death bowling woes.
Key Players: Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Finishing: Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis.
PBKS Full Squad 2026:
Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Harnoor Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge, Pyla Avinash.
Wicketkeepers: Prabhsimran Singh, Vishnu Vinod.
Allrounders: Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Musheer Khan, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly.
Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad.
Pacers: Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis.
Purse Remaining: INR 3.50 Cr Overseas Slots: 0 (Full)
Top 5 Most Expensive Buys in IPL 2026 Auction
The money flowed like water in Abu Dhabi. Here are the top picks:
Cameron Green (KKR): INR 25.20 Cr – The most expensive overseas buy ever?
Matheesha Pathirana (KKR): INR 18 Cr – A massive price for the "Baby Malinga".
Kartik Sharma (CSK): INR 14.20 Cr – A shocking amount for an uncapped player.
Prashant Veer (CSK): INR 14.20 Cr – CSK investing heavily in the future.
Liam Livingstone (SRH): INR 13 Cr – Big money for big hits.
Conclusion
IPL 2026 promises to be the most exciting season yet.
CSK has balanced emotion with future planning.
KKR and RR look like the strongest teams "on paper."
LSG and DC have rebooted with new captains and fresh energy.
The big question remains: Will Cameron Green justify the 25 Cr price tag? And can Sanju Samson lead the Yellow Army to glory alongside Thala Dhoni?
FAQs regarding IPL 2026 Squads
Q1: Who is the most expensive player in IPL 2026? Ans: KKR bought Cameron Green for INR 25.20 Cr, making him the most expensive player in this auction.
Q2: Which team is Rishabh Pant playing for? Ans: Rishabh Pant is now part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Q3: Is MS Dhoni playing in IPL 2026? Ans: Yes, MS Dhoni has been retained by CSK and will play in the 2026 season.
Q4: Who did CSK trade in? Ans: CSK traded in Sanju Samson, sending shockwaves through the league.
Q5: Which team looks strongest after the auction? Ans: Experts believe Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the most balanced squads this year.
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