The excitement surrounding the 10th landmark edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) has officially hit a fever pitch. In an essential update for fans and stakeholders, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) recently revised the tournament’s schedule. Initially set to kick off on July 31, the T20 extravaganza will now run from August 4 to August 28, 2026. The competition will feature a distinct two-phase caravan format, moving from Natham (NPR College) in Phase 1 before culminating at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

With the highly anticipated TNPL 2026 player auction scheduled for July 3, teams are working overtime to finalize their strategies. A massive pool of 783 registered players will go under the hammer, meticulously split across multi-tier baseline categories. Interestingly, Category A features no players this year, while 10 players have registered in Category B, 6 in Category C, and a whopping 767 in Category D. To navigate this massive talent pool, understanding what each franchise has preserved is vital.

Complete breakdown of retained players and team purses for TNPL 2026

The retention strategy of each franchise reveals a fascinating chess match. Teams like the defending champions, iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, and the perennial heavyweights Lyca Kovai Kings, have locked down their core match-winners. This aggressive retention strategy ensures continuity but leaves them with minimal financial flexibility. On the flip side, teams like the Chepauk Super Gillies and Siechem Madurai Panthers have let go of significant names to enter the auction room with the largest financial war chests.

The complete list of retained players across all eight franchises highlights the foundational blocks already in place:

• iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans: R. Sai Kishore, T. Natarajan, R. Silambarasan, Tushar Raheja, S. Mohamed Ali, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, U. Sasidev, R.D. Pranav Raghavendra, V.P. Amith Sathvik, S. Mohan Prasath, C.V. Achyuth, M. Mathivanan, A. Esakkimuthu, V. Anovankar.
• Lyca Kovai Kings: M. Shahrukh Khan, B. Sai Sudharsan, S. Lokeshwar, C. Andre Siddarth, M. Siddharth, R.S. Ambrish, B. Sachin, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, G. Govinth, R. Divakar, P. Vidyuth.
• Dindigul Dragons: Varun Chakaravarthy, Hunny Saini, Sandeep Warrier, B. Indrajith, R. Vimal Khumar, Shivam Singh, R.K. Jayant, H. Dinesh, M. Karthik Saran, Athul Maruthi Vikar, M. Viju Arul, Sasidharan.
• Nellai Royal Kings: R. Sonu Yadav, G. Ajitesh, Muhammed Adnan Khan, S. Rithik Easwaran, S.R. Athish, Sachin Rathi, V. Yudheeswaran, N.S. Harish, S. Selvaganapathi, B. Emmanuel Cherian, D. Santhosh Kumar, B. Rocky, J. Rohan, A. Arun Bala Yoghi, S. Risheek Kumar.
• Trichy Grand Cholas: J. Suresh Kumar, P. Saravana Kumar, J. Kousik, R. Sanjay Yadav, M.S. Washington Sundar, Jafar Jamal, R. Rajkumar, V. Athisayaraj Davidson, K. Easwaran, W. Antony Dhas, M. Ganesh Moorthi, N. Selva Kumaran, T. Saran.
• Chepauk Super Gillies: Abhishek Tanwar, Swapnil K Singh, N. Jagadeesan, R.S. Mokit Hariharan, T.D. Lokesh Raj, M. Silambarasan, K. Aashiq, J. Prem Kumar, S. Dinesh Raj, G. Rajalingam, N. Sunil Krishna.
• Siechem Madurai Panthers: M. Karthik, M.A. Atheeq Ur Rahman, B. Anirudh Sita Ram, Gurjapneet Singh, D. Deepesh, P. Vignesh, P. Saravanan, N.S. Chaturved, S. Rajalingam, S. Surya Anand, S. Shankar Ganesh.
• SKM Salem Spartans: M. Mohammed, C. Hari Nishaanth, S. Nidhish Rajagopal, Boopathi Vaishna Kumar, S. Ajith Ram, M. Eshwar, S. Abishiek, Sunny Sandhu, R. Vivek, S. Harish Kumar, M. Poiyamozhi, Rahil Sanjay Shah, V.S. Karthick Manikandan, Sudhan Sanjeevi Kandeepan, D. Rahul, M.E. Yazh Arun Mozhi.

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The remaining purse values will heavily dictate the dynamics inside the auction hall, establishing a distinct divide between the rich and the asset-conservative teams:

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