Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has released their roster for the IPL 2026. The organization wants to continue their momentum from recent campaigns and solve their situations with inconsistency. The main core of players were kept, including senior leader Pat Cummins, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma and powerhouse batter Travis Head. All three players have been vital to the team, while contributing significantly both with the bat and in leadership roles at the top of the order.

Travis Head played 13 matches last season, making 374 runs at a good strike rate of 162.61. Abhishek Sharma was even better, scoring 439 runs in 14 matches at an average of 33.77 and a strike rate of 193.39. Along with Cummins, the trio gives SRH a strong mix of experience, confidence, and attacking cricket that they will bank upon once again in IPL 2026.

In a key trade-off, SRH exchanged fast bowler Mohammed Shami for Lucknow Super Giants. The SRH had bought Shami for ₹10 crore in the 2025 auction, but an off-form Shami went on to take just 6 wickets in 9 games while giving away too many runs. SRH also released two key spinners, Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar — in their list to restructure the bowling unit.

SRH Retentions, Releases and Auction Plans for IPL 2026

SRH have focused on keeping their strong batters and reliable all-rounders. They also kept main bowlers who fit well into their system. At the same time, they released players who did not have a big impact last season. The team is now looking forward to the mini-auction, where they can fill the remaining gaps.

With a strong group retained and Shami traded out, SRH now have a large purse of ₹25.5 crore entering the IPL 2026 mini-auction. This gives them the flexibility to target big names or fill multiple positions as needed.

See Also: Punjab Kings retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

SRH Retained Players for IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad have retained Pat Cummins as captain along with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga and Zeeshan Ansari.

SRH Released Players for IPL 2026

The released players include Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby and Simarjeet Singh.

SRH Traded Players for IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad have traded out Mohammed Shami to the Lucknow Super Giants.

SRH Auction Purse for IPL 2026 

SRH will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a remaining purse of ₹25.5 crore.

Punjab Kings (PBKS), who were runners-up in IPL 2025, have disclosed the changes in their squad ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The team has retained most of its players from last season and has effected only a few changes. Their biggest release is that of Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who had a poor outing in 2025 and got injured in the middle of the season. The PBKS have also released Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis since he will be unavailable for most of the 2026 season.

Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, who was bought for a record ₹26.75 crore, PBKS had a brilliant IPL 2025. First in the league stage, they made it to the finals where they lost a close game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The reason behind their success was the young guns of India who played brilliantly throughout the tournament.

Young talents like Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh performed brilliantly in IPL 2025. Even though Maxwell has been released, PBKS kept Australian all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Owen. They also retained their main bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal, who both cost ₹18 crore each.

PBKS Retentions, Releases and Auction Plans for IPL 2026

PBKS have kept their strong core together because they believe in the team that did well last season. They have not made many changes and want to continue trusting their young players. Since they retained most of their expensive players, PBKS now have only ₹11.50 crore left for the IPL 2026 auction, the second-lowest purse among all teams.

With only a small purse, PBKS will only be looking to add a couple of players at the mini-auction while filling minor gaps in their squad. The team already has a superb base of batters, bowlers, and all-rounders ahead of the 2026 season.

See Also: Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

PBKS Retained Players for IPL 2026

Punjab Kings have retained Shreyas Iyer as captain along with Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Pyla Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Musheer Khan, Vishnu Vinod, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar.

PBKS Released Players for IPL 2026

The released players include Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen and Praveen Dubey.

PBKS Auction Purse for 2026 

Punjab Kings will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a remaining purse of ₹11.50 crore.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the reigning IPL champions, have announced their complete roster for IPL 2026. Following their first IPL trophy in 2025, RCB goes into the new season with confidence. RCB retained their core group of players as well as their senior star Virat Kohli & captain Rajat Patidar. They also have built good depth in batting, bowling and all-rounders.

RCB has released some big names in Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone and Lungi Ngidi. Livingstone was the most talked-about name because he was bought for ₹8.75 crore but scored only 112 runs and took just two wickets in 10 matches in IPL 2025. Due to his poor performance, the franchise decided to let him go.

Even though Livingstone is gone, RCB still have strong middle-order players. Tim David is in great form, Jitesh Sharma adds power-hitting, Romario Shepherd is a useful all-rounder, and Jacob Bethell is a rising young talent. They also have Krunal Pandya, who brings experience. Another important retention is Rasikh Dar Salam. He played only two matches last season and took one wicket but RCB still kept him for future plans.

RCB Retentions, Releases and Squad Update for IPL 2026

RCB have kept a strong core of batters, bowlers and all-rounders, which gives them stability for the next season. They released a few names to make way for the new signings in the mini-auction. With the mix of senior experienced players and young talent, RCB looks ready for the title defense.

The team enters the IPL 2026 mini-auction with ₹16.4 crore still available in their purse. This gives them enough money to buy one or two more important players if needed.

See Also: Rajasthan Royals retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

RCB Retained Players for IPL 2026

RCB have retained Rajat Patidar as captain, along with Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh and Suyash Sharma.

RCB Released Players for IPL 2026

The players released by RCB are Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi and Mohit Rathee.

RCB Remaining Purse for IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with ₹16.4 crore remaining in their purse.

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) completed IPL 2025 in ninth place and made significant adjustments before the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The Royals' most monumental change was trading their long-term skipper Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In return, RR acquired two significant all-rounders, Jadeja and Sam Curran. Jadeja also agreed to a pay cut, from ₹18 crore to ₹14 crore.

With Samson leaving, RR now need to choose a new captain for IPL 2026. Along with trades, RR also released the Sri Lankan spin pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana and Afghan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi. These releases show that RR are planning for a fresh start after a poor season. RR kept some of their most important young players. 

They retained star opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became famous in IPL 2025 for scoring the fastest century by an Indian in only 35 balls. They also kept Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel for ₹14 crore each, along with Shimron Hetmyer at ₹11 crore. Four uncapped players, Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Kumar Kartikeya and Kunal Rathore were released.

RR Retentions, Releases and Trades for IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals will enter the IPL 2026 auction with a purse of ₹16.05 crore. This gives them the freedom to make one or two big-money signings at the mini-auction. The team has kept a strong core of batters, all-rounders and bowlers, while also adding major experience through Jadeja and Curran.

RR have also been active in the trade market, adding Donovan Ferreira from Delhi Capitals. They traded out Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana as part of their squad reshuffle. With fresh talent, star all-rounders and a good auction purse, RR will look to rebuild strongly for the 2026 season.

See Also: Lucknow Super Giants retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

RR Retained Players for IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals have retained Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for IPL 2026.

RR Released Players for IPL 2026

The released players include Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Rathore and Ashok Sharma.

RR Traded Players for IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals have traded in Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from Chennai Super Kings and Donovan Ferreira from Delhi Capitals. They have traded out Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana.

RR Remaining Purse for IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a purse of ₹16.05 crore.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had a tough and inconsistent season in IPL 2025. The team eventually finished seventh with six wins and eight losses in 14 matches. Long before the season started, LSG created huge noise by buying Rishabh Pant for INR 27 crore, which is the highest amount paid for any player in an IPL auction. Many fans expected LSG to have a great season, but the team could not perform consistently.

LSG started the 2025 season with a strong squad that included Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh and some youth in Ayush Badoni and Digvesh Rathi. While some players did well, there were just too many setbacks for the team. Rishabh Pant had a hit-or-miss type of season consistently, so he could not ever really provide match-winning innings. Their pace attack let the team down with a lack of consistency, leading to defeats and preventing LSG from gaining any type of momentum.

Before the start of IPL 2026, important changes were made in the trade window by LSG. They brought in experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami from Sunrisers Hyderabad. His presence will make their bowling attack stronger along with Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh and spinner Ravi Bishnoi. LSG also traded Shardul Thakur to the Mumbai Indians and received Arjun Tendulkar in return. Arjun adds a young left-arm fast bowling option to the squad.

LSG Retentions, Releases and Trades for IPL 2026

LSG decided to keep most of their important players for IPL 2026, such as Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni and Avesh Khan. They also retained several all-rounders and bowlers for balance in the squad. Simultaneously, LSG let go of the experienced players David Miller and Ravi Bishnoi to make room for new signings at the mini-auction.

With these changes and important trades already done, LSG now go into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a purse of ₹22.95 crore. They are expected to strengthen their middle order and add more backup bowlers during the auction.

See Also: Gujarat Titans retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

LSG Retained Players for IPL 2026

LSG have retained Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Ayush Badoni, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, M Siddharth, Prince Yadav and Akash Singh for IPL 2026.

LSG Released Players for IPL 2026

The released players include Shardul Thakur (via trade), David Miller, Aryan Juyal, Yuvraj Choudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shamar Joseph, Akash Deep and Ravi Bishnoi.

LSG  Traded Players for IPL 2026

LSG traded Shardul Thakur to the Mumbai Indians, while they brought in Arjun Tendulkar from Mumbai Indians and Mohammed Shami from Sunrisers Hyderabad.

LSG Remaining Purse for IPL 2026

Lucknow Super Giants will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a remaining purse of ₹22.95 crore.

The Gujarat Titans (GT), champions of IPL 2022, had a strong season in IPL 2025, finishing in fourth place. Their group-stage run was one of the most consistent of the tournament, mainly because of the brilliant performances of their top-order batters, who dominated bowling attacks across different venues. Their strong starts with the bat have played a crucial role in GT securing a playoff spot for the third time in four years.

Sai Sudharsan, captain Shubman Gill and England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler all scored more than 500 runs each in the season. This made them one of the best top threes in the tournament. However, since they scored most of the runs, GT’s middle order didn’t get much time to bat, creating concerns about their depth in pressure situations. Because of this, GT are expected to target new middle-order batters in the mini-auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.

Over the years, Gujarat Titans became one of the most successful franchises in the IPL. After claiming the title in their maiden season in 2022 under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, they were in the finals in 2023 and barely missed the playoffs in 2024. All ahead of the 2026 season, GT intend to retain their strong core players while also releasing players who haven't performed well to improve their good squad.

Gujarat Titans Retentions, Releases and Trades for IPL 2026

GT retained most of the key players ahead of IPL 2026, which included their skipper Shubman Gill, leading performers Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, and match-winners like Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, and Rahul Tewatia. They have also retained some other all-rounders and bowlers for maintaining team balance. Meanwhile, GT released some players who didn’t feature in their long-term plans.

The team also made one notable trade, sending West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians. With a remaining purse of ₹12.9 crore, Gujarat Titans will look to fill crucial middle-order and backup slots at the mini-auction and prepare a stronger lineup for IPL 2026.

See Also: Chennai Super Kings retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Gujarat Titans 2026 Retained Players 

GT have retained Shubman Gill as captain, along with Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Sai Kishore, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Jayant Yadav and Glenn Phillips.

Gujarat Titans 2026 Released Players

The released players include Sherfane Rutherford (via trade), Gerald Coetzee, Kulwant Khejroliya, Karim Janat, Dasun Shanaka and Mahipal Lomror.

Gujarat Titans 2026 Traded Players

GT traded Sherfane Rutherford to the Mumbai Indians for ₹2.6 crore as part of their pre-auction squad updates.

Gujarat Titans Remaining Purse

The Gujarat Titans will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a remaining purse of ₹12.9 crore.

On Saturday, November 15, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) officially announced the list of players they have retained and released ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The franchise was very active during the trading window and made some of the biggest changes of the season. Their boldest decision was parting ways with Ravindra Jadeja, one of their biggest legends, along with star all-rounder Sam Curran.

Both Jadeja and Curran were traded to the Rajasthan Royals (RR). In return, CSK brought in former RR captain and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, making it one of the biggest trades ever seen in the IPL. CSK also said goodbye to talented Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana and the New Zealand pair of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra as part of their squad reshuffle.

CSK had a season to forget in IPL 2025, finishing in last place in the points table going 4 for 14 matches. The season concluded for the CSK as 8 points with a -0.647 net run rate made it their 'worst season ever' in IPL history. CSK showed flashbacks of fight this season, but overall were out of form and struggled for consistency to stay competitive.

CSK Retentions, Releases and Trades Ahead of IPL 2026

The new retention list shows that CSK are planning a fresh start while still backing their core players. They kept their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, some youngsters, some key all-rounders, and familiar bowling lineups. But, they did abandon a significant number of experienced players and traded Jadeja and Curran.

CSK’s 2025 season started with a strong win against the Mumbai Indians but quickly turned difficult as they suffered multiple losses against teams like RCB, RR, DC, PBKS and KKR. They picked up wins against LSG and later against KKR again, but consistency remained missing. Their best performance came in the final match where they beat Gujarat Titans by 83 runs, but it was too late to save their campaign.

See Also: Kolkata Knight Riders retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

CSK Retained Players for IPL 2026

Chennai Super Kings have retained Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain, along with Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal and Mukesh Choudhary for the IPL 2026 season.

CSK Released Players for IPL 2026

The players released by CSK include Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, C Andre Siddarth, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Matheesha Pathirana and R Ashwin.

CSK Trades for IPL 2026

CSK have traded in Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, while Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran have been traded out to Rajasthan Royals.

As the 2026 IPL season gets closer, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) begin another new chapter. The team has one of the most colorful histories in the league, filled with big wins, bold decisions, and several rebuilds. Over time, KKR has evolved from an inconsistent side to a strong side that can produce match-winners in all departments.

KKR's major transformation began in the Gautam Gambhir era, which resulted in two IPL titles, in 2012 and 2014. His ethos changed the whole KKR style, based around confidence, discipline, and smart approaches. After their success, KKR experienced a mixed bag of good and average years while trying to achieve consistent results and rebuild at the same time.

From 2015 to 2020, KKR were competitive but usually ended up around the mid-table mark. That once more changed when a new leadership-coaching arrangement took them through a brilliant 2024 season in which KKR won the IPL title by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in a strong final performance. In 2025, they had moments of brilliance but could not sustain the tempo and finished in the mid-table.

KKR Retentions, Releases and Trades for IPL 2026

Now, going into the IPL 2026 season, KKR begins to enter an important period. The retention decisions reflect that the franchise wants a nice team balance, retaining experience and also opening spots to young talents. This mix could help KKR retain hopes of fighting for the title again in the tournament.

KKR also released a few big players prior to the mini-auction and made one trade, which involves Mayank Markande. These moves have shown that the team is preparing for a fresh start while keeping its strong core intact.

See Also: Delhi Capitals retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

KKR Retained Players for IPL 2026

KKR have retained Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, and Varun Chakaravarthy for the IPL 2026 season.

KKR Released Players for IPL 2026

The players released by KKR include Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, and Mayank Markande, who has also been traded out.

KKR Trades for IPL 2026

KKR have traded out Mayank Markande to the Mumbai Indians as part of their pre-auction squad changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who did KKR retain for IPL 2026?

KKR retained key players like Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ajinkya Rahane, and Harshit Rana to maintain their core strength.

Q: Which players were released by KKR?

Big names like Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, and Moeen Ali were released ahead of the auction.

Q: How much purse does KKR have left for the auction?

KKR has around ₹64.3 crore remaining in their purse with 13 slots open.

Q: Why did KKR release Andre Russell?

The team is likely looking for a fresh balance and budget flexibility after Russell’s inconsistent recent form.

Q: When is the IPL 2026 auction scheduled?

The IPL 2026 auction will be held on 16 December 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, have officially released eight players ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The franchise decided to part ways with England pacer Reece Topley, Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, South African pacer Lizaad Williams, India spinner Karn Sharma, New Zealand batter Bevon Jacobs and three uncapped Indian players. As the mid-December auction approaches, MI has completed its retention and release process in line with the November 15 deadline given to all 10 franchises.

The Mumbai Indians management confirmed its final list of retained and released players after submitting their squad details to the BCCI. They have also made a few trades to strengthen the squad. Players like Sherfane Rutherford and Mayank Markande have joined the team through trades. MI hopes to build a strong side for the upcoming season.

Mumbai Indians finished fourth in IPL 2025. Under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, they won 8 out of 14 league matches. They beat Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in the Eliminator on May 30, 2025. But in Qualifier 2 on June 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, MI could not defend a total of more than 200 runs for the first time in their IPL history and lost to Punjab Kings by five wickets.

MI Full List of Retained, Released and Traded Players

Mumbai Indians have kept their main players like Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. They now have five empty slots (four Indian and one overseas) and a purse of ₹2.75 crore for the mini-auction. The team has also traded out Arjun Tendulkar to Lucknow Super Giants.

With these retentions and trades, MI will look to fill the remaining gaps at the auction and prepare for a better IPL 2026 season.

MI Retained Players

Hardik Pandya (C), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Naman Dhir, Raj Angad Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Robin Minz (WK), Raghu Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Allah Ghazanfar

See Also: List of confirmed player trade before IPL 2026 retention window

MI Released Players

Mujeeb Ur Rahman (₹2 crore), Reece Topley (₹75 lakh), Lizaad Williams (₹75 lakh), Vignesh Puthur (₹30 lakh), Karn Sharma (₹50 lakh), Krishnan Shrijith (₹30 lakh), Satyanarayana Raju (₹30 lakh), Bevon Jacobs (₹30 lakh)

MI Players Traded In

Shardul Thakur (₹2 crore from LSG), Sherfane Rutherford (₹2.60 crore from GT), Mayank Markande (₹30 lakh from KKR)

MI Players Traded Out

Arjun Tendulkar (₹30 lakh to LSG)

MI Auction Details

• Vacant Slots: 5 (4 Indian, 1 overseas)
• Remaining Purse: ₹2.75 crore

The upcoming fourth edition of the SA20 is set for a significant overhaul, with only six player retentions or pre-signings allowed per franchise—the lowest in the league’s brief history. With this rule change, a massive 72 player slots will be up for grabs in the auction, scheduled for September 9. This represents 63% of the 108 available squad places in the six teams, for a very hotly contested bidding war between domestic and international talent.

Retention policy was shaken up, but squad composition is the same as always. Every franchise will have to feature a minimum of 11 South Africans and an open maximum of seven overseas cricketers. The salary cap has also seen a boost, rising from R39.1 million (US$2.2 million) to R41 million (US$2.31 million), making SA20 the second-highest-paying T20 league globally, behind only the IPL. Teams are also allowed to sign one wildcard player whose salary won’t count toward the cap.

A Right to Match (RTM) card will also be introduced for the first time, giving franchises the power to reclaim players who represented them in season 3 by matching the highest bid. The number of RTM cards a team gets depends on how many South African players they retain. Additionally, the rookie draft has been scrapped, and all teams must now sign a minimum of two players under the age of 23, ensuring young talent continues to receive opportunities.

New Schedule, Same Format

The SA20 will begin earlier this season, kicking off on Boxing Day and concluding by January 26. This change accommodates a packed South African international calendar and stadium upgrades in preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Notably, there are no home Tests during the 2025–26 summer, allowing the domestic T20 league a clear window.

See Also: [WATCH] ENG vs IND 1st Test: Mohammad Siraj and Zak Crawley heated exchange at Headingley

While the timing has shifted for this season, the format remains intact. The tournament will feature six franchises and 34 matches, as in previous editions. SA20 will return to its traditional January-to-mid-February slot for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, with a slightly extended playing window.