IPL 2026 Best Retained Icon Players List for All 10 Teams

Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli among icons in our best three retained players list for all 10 teams for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. 

When we talk about the Indian Premier League, one thing that stands out for all teams is the fan following. But aside from being a competent team that is well-balanced in all aspects, it is the presence of quality players that drives the fan following of each team. Take Virat Kohli for example. Would RCB have the same fan following if Virat Kohli was not associated with it? Well, the answer is no. The fan following would be drastically reduced if Virat Kohli isn’t associated with RCB anymore. 

While you don’t need those 8-10 blockbuster players in each team to increase the fan base, all you need is those 2-4 icon players that help the team engage more with the fans. With IPL 2025 coming to a successful conclusion after RCB’s historic win over PBKS in the final, the biggest assignment for any franchise now is to keep in touch with the fans, and the best way to do that is to keep flooding the walls of fans with their favourite players’ news.

So, in this article, we take a look at those best icon players, who will be retained by the franchise without a second thought for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, and those are the ones that will define the aura of the team, and help connect the franchise with their fans more. Since we are looking at a limited list of players, we will only cover the icon names, and thus a few important players may miss out on the list, only because they don’t fall under the icon category list. 

IPL 2026 Best Icon Retained Players List for Each Team

#1: Chennai Super Kings

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad
2. MS Dhoni
3. Ravindra Jadeja

Well, starting with CSK, we are looking at three icon players that define the team, and those are Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, and Ravindra Jadeja. There is no question about MS Dhoni’s unmatched stardom in the IPL. He brings extreme TRPs with him, and not just on Social Media, his fan following is seen in stadiums as well. There are question marks on Dhoni’s participation in IPL 2026, but he will play one more year for sure. Aside from Dhoni, Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja also enjoy the core fan following of CSK. 

#2: Lucknow Super Giants

1. Rishabh Pant
2. Nicholas Pooran
3. Mitchell Marsh
4. Aiden Markram

The newly-formed Lucknow Super Giants team has gone through a transition in the last Mega Auction. Barring Nicholas Pooran, who has remained a core member of the team since the beginning, Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Marsh, and also Aiden Markram have now become a vital member of the team basis their performance. All four experienced International players bring a solid fan base to the LSG camp, and should be retained without a second thought.   

#3: Rajasthan Royals

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. Sanju Samson
3. Riyan Parag
4. Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Coming to Rajasthan Royals, there are three players who have been the core of the team for the last 4-5 years, and attract huge fan following on Social Media – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Riyan Parag. These three have been key performers for the RR team over the years, and enjoy a good fan following on Social Media. But one player who rose to fame this year, and will be one of the most important players for RR in the coming years is Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Vaibhav has shown tremendous potential, and looks set to be the core of RR in coming years. 

#4: Gujarat Titans

1. Shubman Gill
2. Sai Sudharsan
3. Jos Buttler
4. Rashid Khan
5. Mohammed Siraj

The Gujarat Titans team has been one of the few teams to have played a consistent lineup throughout the IPL 2025. When we talk about the icon players of the team, we talk about a young core comprising Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Rashid Khan. While Rashid has had a lull IPL 2025, him alongside Gill and Sai has been a key performer for GT over the years. Aside from these three, Buttler and Siraj attract a good fan following in India, and that in turn helps the GT side. 

#5: Sunrisers Hyderabad

1. Heinrich Klaasen
2. Abhishek Sharma
3. Pat Cummins
4. Travis Head
5. Ishan Kishan

Coming to Sunrisers Hyderabad, there are five players that define the DNA of the team, and those are the top 4 batters, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan alongside Captain Pat Cummins. These five players are the most crucial members of SRH as they form the core of the team, and bring solid fan following along with them. Expect these five payers to be the first names to be retained by the team for IPL 2026. 

#6: Royal Challengers Bengaluru

1. Virat Kohli
2. Rajat Patidar
3. Phil Salt
4. Josh Hazlewood

The IPL 2025 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the first time saw their fans rewarded with the much-coveted trophy. It was a complete team effort from the RCB team, but if we talk about the icon players of the team, we see four players that enjoy solid fan following. Aside from Virat Kohli, who defines the RCB team, Captain Rajat Patidar, opener Phil Salt, and pacer Josh Hazlewood have a solid fan base on Solid Media from RCB’s perspective. 

#7: Delhi Capitals

1. KL Rahul
2. Axar Patel
3. Kuldeep Yadav
4. Mitchell Starc

One of the only three teams now without a trophy, the Delhi Capitals team saw a solid revamp in their squad in the Mega Auction. While Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav have been the core of the team for a few years now, KL Rahul and Mitchell Starc have added new energy to the team. These four players currently define the DC team, and they also have a solid fan following. Expect DC to retain these icon players without a second thought.  

#8: Mumbai Indians

1. Jasprit Bumrah
2. Suryakumar Yadav
3. Hardik Pandya
4. Rohit Sharma

Coming to Mumbai Indians, the team is pretty Indian players-centric, and the four players that define the aura of the team are Jasprit Bumrah, Suyakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma. Not just in Mumbai Indians, take any team, and these four players will change the dynamics of the team completely. There is no question that Mumbai Indians is what it is today because of these players, and even if one of these four goes missing, MI’s image will face a big dent. 

#9: Punjab Kings

1. Shreyas Iyer
2. Arshdeep Singh
3. Yuzvendra Chahal

The IPL 2025 Runner-up Punjab Kings saw some really inspirational performances from the uncapped players, Priyansh Arya, Prabsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, and Nehal Wadhera. These four players define the team in the coming years, but as of today, the three players that shape the PBKS image are Sarpanch saab Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal. PBKS spent a fortune to acquire the services of these three players, and they kind of define the aura of the PBKS team on Social Media. 

#10: Kolkata Knight Riders

1. Sunil Narine
2. Andre Russell
3. Varun Chakravarthy

Finally, talking about the KKR team, the team is one of the few teams to be Overseas players-centric, and the team’s most important players are Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. These two players have been with the team for many years now, and have helped KKR gain a solid fan following. But aside from Russell and Narine, Varun Chakravarthy has slowly established himself as one the most important members of the team, and also brings a good fan following for his mystery spin. 

So, that’s about the best retained icon players list one name for all 10 teams for IPL 2026. 

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