England stars Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, and Phil Salt have been retained by their respective franchises ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, while all-rounder Liam Livingstone has been released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) following a disappointing campaign.

Buttler, who averaged 59.77 last season, will remain a key figure for Gujarat Titans, while Salt stays with RCB, having impressed with a strike rate of 175.98 at the top of the order as the team lifted their first-ever IPL title. Archer, despite taking only 11 wickets at 39.18 last season, retains his place at Rajasthan Royals due to his sustained fitness and proven impact.

Livingstone Let Go After Disappointing Season

Livingstone struggled to make an impact in his single season with RCB, scoring just 112 runs in 10 innings and claiming only two wickets at an economy rate of 8.44. His release comes as franchises look to fine-tune their squads ahead of the IPL 2026 auction on 16 December in Abu Dhabi, which will feature 77 available slots, including 31 for overseas players.

Other England players retained include:

• Jamie Overton – Chennai Super Kings
• Will Jacks – Mumbai Indians
• Sam Curran – Rajasthan Royals (via blockbuster trade from Chennai)
• Brydon Carse – Sunrisers Hyderabad

Meanwhile, Reece Topley and Moeen Ali have been released by Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively.

Notable Trades and Overseas Releases

The IPL 2026 season has also seen major trades, most notably Sam Curran moving from Chennai Super Kings to Rajasthan Royals, with Ravindra Jadeja joining the Royals in exchange for India batter Sanju Samson.

Other notable overseas releases include:

• Andre Russell – Kolkata Knight Riders (after 11 seasons)
• Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis – Punjab Kings
• Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – Chennai Super Kings
• David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi – across multiple franchises

Retained and Released Players Across Franchises

Selected England Retentions for IPL 2026:

• Chennai Super Kings: Jamie Overton
• Gujarat Titans: Jos Buttler
• Mumbai Indians: Will Jacks
• Rajasthan Royals: Jofra Archer, Sam Curran
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell
• Sunrisers Hyderabad: Brydon Carse

Major Overseas Releases:

• Kolkata Knight Riders: Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali
• Punjab Kings: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Mayank Agarwal

The IPL 2026 auction promises to be highly competitive as teams look to finalize their squads and build momentum for the tournament. The dates for the 2026 IPL season are yet to be announced, but anticipation is already building among fans and franchises alike.