T20 Mumbai League 2026: Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer among top retentions

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has set the stage for a blockbuster T20 Mumbai League 2026, unveiling a star-studded list of player retentions featuring India captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and Shivam Dube.India's Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and senior batter Ajinkya Rahane are both slated to feature in Season-4 of the T20 Mumbai League, which will begin from June 2, just after the conclusion of IPL-2026 on May 31. Both Jaiswal and Rahane had missed out on the previous season of the tournament due to various reasons, but have been allotted as 'Icon Players.' Jaiswal has been allotted to the Bandra Blasters, even though he's unlikely to play in the League as he's scheduled to play for India in the one-off Test match against Afghanistan from June 6 in New Chandigarh. Bandra Blasters have retained Suved Parkar and Dhrumil Matkar. Rahane has been taken on board by the North Mumbai Panthers, who have also retained India's 2026 Under-19 World Cup winning team wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu and off-spinning allrounder Tanush Kotian. Triumph Knights Mumbai North East have retained India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings opening batter Ayush Mhatre and and Suryansh Shedge, while Sobo Mumbai Falcons have retained Kings captain Shreyas Iyer. Andheri Arcs have retained India's hero of the last two T20 World Cups, allrounder Shivam Dube, along with Pragesh Kanpillewar and seamer Deepak Shetty.The auction is likely to be held on May 2. Each of the eight teams were allowed to retain three players. Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs have retained CSK batter Sarfaraz Khan, left-arm spinner Shams Mulani and opener Jay Bista.Defending champions Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals have retained pacer Tushar Deshpande (Icon Player), who played two T20Is for India in 2024 and is currently representing Rajasthan Royals in IPL-2026, skipper Siddhesh Lad and veteran seamer Rohan Raje. Eagle Thane Strikers have retained skipper Shardul Thakur, Atharva Ankolekar and Sairaj Patil.MCA president Ajinkya Naik said: “This is a strong statement of intent from all franchises. The retention of some of the biggest names in Indian cricket reflects the strength and credibility the T20 Mumbai League has built over the years. At the same time, the opportunity for young and emerging players to share the dressing room with such established stars is invaluable for their growth and development. With such a high-quality core in place, we are set for a season that will raise the bar in terms of competitiveness and overall standard of cricket.”Rajdip Gupta, Chairman of the League Governing Council, said: “These retentions underline the strategic clarity of franchises and the depth of talent available in Mumbai. The mix of established stars and emerging players will make this one of the most exciting seasons yet. The retention strategy clearly reflects the intent of teams to build continuity while maintaining a high-performance environment.”List of Retained Players:Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs: Sarfaraz Khan (Icon Player), Shams Mulani and Jay Bista ARCS Andheri: Shivam Dube (Icon Player), Pragnesh Kanpillewar and Deepak Shetty Bandra Blasters: Yashasvi Jaiswal (Icon Player), Suved Parkar and Dhrumil Matkar Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals: Tushar Deshpande (Icon Player), Siddhesh Lad and Rohan Raje North Mumbai Panthers: Ajinkya Rahane (Icon Player), Abhigyan Kundu and Tanush Kotian SoBo Mumbai Falcons: Shreyas Iyer (Icon Player), Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Harsh Aghav Eagle Thane Strikers: Shardul Thakur (Icon Player), Atharva Ankolekar and Sairaj Patil Triumph Knights Mumbai North East: Suryakumar Yadav (Icon Player), Ayush Mhatre and Suryansh Shedge