The wait is over for Tamil Nadu cricket fans. With the TNPL 2026 player auction concluded on July 3 at the Sriraman Hall inside Chennai’s iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium, all eight franchises have locked in their final squads for the landmark 10th edition of the Shriram Capital Tamil Nadu Premier League. The tournament runs from August 4 to August 28, 2026, beginning in Natham before the business end shifts to Chepauk.
TNPL 2026 marks the league’s 10th edition and comes on the back of a landmark 2025 season — where iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans claimed their maiden title.
From a pool of more than 700 registered players, only a select group found buyers as teams fine-tuned their combinations around a heavily retained core. IPL and India stars headline the retention lists — Sai Sudharsan and Shahrukh Khan stay with Lyca Kovai Kings, Washington Sundar remains a Trichy Grand Chola, T. Natarajan and captain Sai Kishore anchor defending champions iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, while N. Jagadeesan continues with Chepauk Super Gillies.
Here is the complete team-by-team breakdown of the TNPL 2026 final squads, including every player’s fee and each franchise’s remaining purse.
TNPL 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Edition | 10th season (Shriram Capital TNPL 2026) |
| Auction date | July 3, 2026, Chennai |
| Season window | August 4 – August 28, 2026 |
| Venues | Natham (Phase 1), MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (Phase 2) |
| Teams | 8 franchises |
| Defending champions | iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans |
Trichy Grand Cholas Squad 2026
Trichy built around all-rounder Washington Sundar and a settled local core, retaining 13 players and adding 7 from the auction. Their headline retention is J. Suresh Kumar at ₹10.06 lakh.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Suresh Kumar J | Retained | 10,06,250 |
| Saravana Kumar P | Retained | 5,25,000 |
| Kousik J | Retained | 5,00,000 |
| Sanjay Yadav R | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Washington Sundar M S | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Jafar Jamal | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Rajkumar R | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Athisayaraj Davidson V | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Easwaran K | Retained | 75,000 |
| Antony Dhas W | Retained | 62,500 |
| Ganesh Moorthi M | Retained | 62,500 |
| Selva Kumaran N | Retained | 31,250 |
| Saran T | Retained | 31,250 |
| Bhavan Suriya S | Auction buy | 3,00,000 |
| Gowtham Thamarai Kannan K | Auction buy | 1,00,000 |
| Rajkumar K | Auction buy | 90,000 |
| Sai Shriraam G | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Shyam Sundar S | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Vijay Abimanyu T | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Ramesh K | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹41,03,750 | Purse remaining: ₹8,96,250
Chepauk Super Gillies Squad 2026
The most successful franchise in TNPL history made the auction’s biggest splash, spending ₹14.45 lakh on Ashwanth Valthapa — the costliest buy of TNPL 2026 — after retaining a compact 11-man core led by Abhishek Tanwar and N. Jagadeesan.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Tanwar | Retained | 7,50,000 |
| Swapnil K Singh | Retained | 6,75,000 |
| Jagadeesan N | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Mokit Hariharan R S | Retained | 3,25,000 |
| Lokesh Raj T D | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Silambarasan M | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Aashiq K | Retained | 40,625 |
| Prem Kumar J | Retained | 37,500 |
| Dinesh Raj S | Retained | 31,250 |
| G Rajalingam | Retained | 31,250 |
| Sunil Krishna N | Retained | 31,250 |
| Ashwanth Valthapa | Auction buy | 14,45,000 |
| Waseem Ahmed H I | Auction buy | 5,20,000 |
| Ram Arvindh R | Auction buy | 2,05,000 |
| Mohana Prasath M | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Ashwin M | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Arun B | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Harish Aadithiya GG | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Vignesh M | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Sujay S | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹49,46,875 | Purse remaining: ₹53,125
Dindigul Dragons Squad 2026
Last season’s runners-up kept faith in Varun C.V. and a bowling-heavy retained group featuring Sandeep Warrier, then spread their auction money across eight signings led by Mohit Mittan and Vineeth V K.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Varun C.V | Retained | 7,50,000 |
| Hunny | Retained | 7,31,250 |
| Sandeep Warrier | Retained | 5,00,000 |
| Indrajith B | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Vimal Khumar R | Retained | 2,37,500 |
| Shivam Singh | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Jayant R K | Retained | 71,875 |
| Dinesh H | Retained | 31,250 |
| Karthik Saran M | Retained | 31,250 |
| Athul Maruthi Vikar | Retained | 31,250 |
| Viju Arul M | Retained | 31,250 |
| Sasidharan | Retained | 31,250 |
| Vineeth V K | Auction buy | 2,80,000 |
| Mohit Mittan | Auction buy | 2,45,000 |
| Bhuvaneswaran P | Auction buy | 2,05,000 |
| Nirankar Sharma | Auction buy | 1,70,000 |
| Krish E | Auction buy | 70,000 |
| Anuraag Rajesh Nair | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Kishore B K | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Sakthi Karuppasamy | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹40,31,875 | Purse remaining: ₹9,68,125
iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans Squad 2026
The defending champions prioritised continuity, retaining 14 players — the title-winning spine of captain R. Sai Kishore, India pacer T. Natarajan and R. Silambarasan — and making just six low-cost auction additions.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Sai Kishore R | Retained | 10,00,000 |
| Natarajan T | Retained | 7,50,000 |
| Silambarasan R | Retained | 5,62,500 |
| Tushar Raheja | Retained | 5,00,000 |
| Mohamed Ali S | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Pradosh Ranjan Paul | Retained | 2,75,000 |
| Sasidev U | Retained | 2,31,250 |
| Pranav Ragavendra R D | Retained | 1,71,875 |
| Amith Sathvik V P | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Mohan Prasath S | Retained | 62,500 |
| Achyuth C V | Retained | 46,875 |
| Mathivanan M | Retained | 43,750 |
| Esakkimuthu A | Retained | 37,500 |
| Anovankar V | Retained | 31,250 |
| Ganesh S | Auction buy | 2,05,000 |
| Wafar K | Auction buy | 50,000 |
| Bharath M | Auction buy | 40,000 |
| Akshay Dev Kumar | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Shantanu K | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Vishal M | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹46,22,500 | Purse remaining: ₹3,77,500
Lyca Kovai Kings Squad 2026
Star power defines Kovai’s 2026 campaign. India batter B. Sai Sudharsan and IPL power-hitter M. Shahrukh Khan headline an 11-player retention list, supplemented by nine budget auction picks.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Shahrukh Khan M | Retained | 10,00,000 |
| Sai Sudharsan B | Retained | 7,50,000 |
| Lokeshwar S | Retained | 6,25,000 |
| Andre Siddarth C | Retained | 5,25,000 |
| Siddharth M | Retained | 5,00,000 |
| Ambrish R S | Retained | 3,90,625 |
| Sachin B | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Jhathavedh Subramanyan | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| G Govinth | Retained | 37,500 |
| Divakar R | Retained | 31,250 |
| Vidyuth P | Retained | 31,250 |
| Maan K Bafna | Auction buy | 1,40,000 |
| Abhinav K | Auction buy | 50,000 |
| Trilok Nag H | Auction buy | 45,000 |
| Manav Parakh | Auction buy | 40,000 |
| Jitendra Kumar CH | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Deeban Lingesh | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Prashid Akash H | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Mithun Vijay V | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Madhava Prasad K T A | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹48,40,625 | Purse remaining: ₹1,59,375
Nellai Royal Kings Squad 2026
Nellai retained a league-high-matching 15 players around R. Sonu Yadav and G. Ajitesh, then stunned the auction room by splurging ₹13.7 lakh on Mukilesh U — the second-biggest buy of the day.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Sonu Yadav R | Retained | 10,00,000 |
| Ajitesh G | Retained | 5,00,000 |
| Muhammed Adnan Khan | Retained | 4,40,625 |
| Rithik Easwaran S | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Athish S R | Retained | 2,37,500 |
| Sachin Rathi | Retained | 1,56,250 |
| Yudheeswaran V | Retained | 1,53,125 |
| Harish N S | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Selvaganapathi S | Retained | 1,28,125 |
| Emmanuel Cherian B | Retained | 40,625 |
| Santhosh Kumar D | Retained | 37,500 |
| Rocky B | Retained | 31,250 |
| Rohan J | Retained | 31,250 |
| Arun Bala Yoghi A | Retained | 31,250 |
| Risheek Kumar S | Retained | 31,250 |
| Mukilesh U | Auction buy | 13,70,000 |
| Rohit R | Auction buy | 60,000 |
| Sachin Sre Dev S | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Subash S | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Bharath Kumar M | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹48,63,750 | Purse remaining: ₹1,36,250
Siechem Madurai Panthers Squad 2026
Madurai entered the auction with one of the biggest purses and used it, adding nine players including Siddharth Mahadevan for ₹8.7 lakh and Periyasamy G for ₹4.5 lakh alongside a Karthik M-led retained core.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Karthik M | Retained | 5,75,000 |
| Atheeq Ur Rahman M A | Retained | 4,84,375 |
| Anirudh Sita Ram B | Retained | 3,87,500 |
| Gurjapneet Singh | Retained | 3,75,000 |
| Deepesh D | Retained | 3,21,875 |
| Vignesh P | Retained | 1,65,625 |
| Saravanan P | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Chaturved N S | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Rajalingam S | Retained | 40,625 |
| Surya Anand S | Retained | 40,625 |
| Shankar Ganesh S | Retained | 31,250 |
| Siddharth Mahadevan | Auction buy | 8,70,000 |
| Periyasamy G | Auction buy | 4,50,000 |
| Shavin V | Auction buy | 1,55,000 |
| Shoaib Mohammed | Auction buy | 1,25,000 |
| Hari Ragavendra V | Auction buy | 1,00,000 |
| Rohan Ravi Bhutra | Auction buy | 55,000 |
| Kiran Karthikeyan | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Ram Kumar R | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Himalaya | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹45,66,875 | Purse remaining: ₹4,33,125
SKM Salem Spartans Squad 2026
Salem made the boldest continuity bet in the league, retaining 16 players — the most of any franchise — headlined by M. Mohammed at ₹11.5 lakh, the single highest retention fee in TNPL 2026.
| Player | Status | Fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed M | Retained | 11,50,000 |
| Hari Nishaanth C | Retained | 7,50,000 |
| Nidhish S Rajagopal | Retained | 6,25,000 |
| Boopathi Vaishna Kumar | Retained | 4,25,000 |
| Ajith Ram S | Retained | 3,12,500 |
| Eshwar M | Retained | 2,50,000 |
| Abishiek S | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Sunny Sandhu | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Vivek R | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Harish Kumar S | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Poiyamozhi M | Retained | 1,50,000 |
| Rahil Sanjay Shah | Retained | 1,25,000 |
| Karthick Manikandan V S | Retained | 46,875 |
| Sudhan Sanjeevi Kandeepan | Retained | 31,250 |
| Rahul D | Retained | 31,250 |
| Yazh Arun Mozhi M E | Retained | 31,250 |
| Udaya Kumar M | Auction buy | 2,05,000 |
| Kavin R | Auction buy | 1,25,000 |
| Iyappan B | Auction buy | 30,000 |
| Dinesh Veda Guru M | Auction buy | 30,000 |
Total spent: ₹49,18,125 | Purse remaining: ₹81,875
Biggest Buys of the TNPL 2026 Auction
The auction produced two eye-watering bids that dwarfed everything else on the day. Chepauk Super Gillies’ pursuit of Ashwanth Valthapa ended at ₹14.45 lakh, making him the most expensive player of TNPL 2026, while Nellai Royal Kings paid ₹13.7 lakh to secure Mukilesh U. Siechem Madurai Panthers’ ₹8.7 lakh move for Siddharth Mahadevan rounded out the top three.
| Rank | Player | Team | Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwanth Valthapa | Chepauk Super Gillies | 14,45,000 |
| 2 | Mukilesh U | Nellai Royal Kings | 13,70,000 |
| 3 | Siddharth Mahadevan | Siechem Madurai Panthers | 8,70,000 |
| 4 | Waseem Ahmed H I | Chepauk Super Gillies | 5,20,000 |
| 5 | Periyasamy G | Siechem Madurai Panthers | 4,50,000 |
Team-Wise Spending and Remaining Purse
Chepauk Super Gillies emerged as the biggest spenders of the season at ₹49.47 lakh, leaving themselves just ₹53,125 in reserve, while Dindigul Dragons ran the most economical operation with nearly ₹9.7 lakh still unspent.
| Team | Total Spent (₹) | Purse Remaining (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Chepauk Super Gillies | 49,46,875 | 53,125 |
| SKM Salem Spartans | 49,18,125 | 81,875 |
| Nellai Royal Kings | 48,63,750 | 1,36,250 |
| Lyca Kovai Kings | 48,40,625 | 1,59,375 |
| iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans | 46,22,500 | 3,77,500 |
| Siechem Madurai Panthers | 45,66,875 | 4,33,125 |
| Trichy Grand Cholas | 41,03,750 | 8,96,250 |
| Dindigul Dragons | 40,31,875 | 9,68,125 |
Key Storylines Heading into TNPL 2026
Champions bet on continuity. iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans retained 14 of their title-winning squad, a clear statement that the formula which delivered their maiden crown in 2025 needs no reinvention. With Sai Kishore leading and Natarajan spearheading the attack, they start as favourites.
Star power stays put. The league’s biggest names — Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Natarajan and Sai Kishore — were all retained before the auction, meaning fans across Tamil Nadu will see India’s current and future internationals in familiar colours.
A new era without the veterans. With players who have retired from Indian cricket no longer eligible, marquee names such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Vijay Shankar and Murugan Ashwin exit the TNPL stage, opening the door for the next generation.
Salem’s all-in retention gamble. Sixteen retentions and the league’s costliest retained player in M. Mohammed make SKM Salem Spartans the boldest continuity story of the season — and the team under the most pressure to justify it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does TNPL 2026 start? TNPL 2026 runs from August 4 to August 28, 2026, beginning in Natham before the knockouts move to the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Who was the most expensive player in the TNPL 2026 auction? Ashwanth Valthapa, bought by Chepauk Super Gillies for ₹14.45 lakh, was the costliest signing of the TNPL 2026 auction.
Which team retained the most players for TNPL 2026? SKM Salem Spartans retained 16 players, the highest of any franchise, followed by Nellai Royal Kings with 15.
Is Sai Sudharsan playing TNPL 2026? Yes. India batter B. Sai Sudharsan was retained by Lyca Kovai Kings for the 2026 season.
Who are the defending champions of the TNPL? iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, who won their maiden title in 2025, enter TNPL 2026 as defending champions.
How many teams play in TNPL 2026? Eight franchises: Chepauk Super Gillies, Dindigul Dragons, iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, Lyca Kovai Kings, Nellai Royal Kings, Siechem Madurai Panthers, SKM Salem Spartans and Trichy Grand Cholas.
Stay with iSportsLeague for TNPL 2026 schedules, match predictions, fantasy tips and live coverage throughout the season.
