PKL 13 Retained Players List 2026: All 12 Teams (Season 13)
The PKL 13 retained players list is the first official signal of how every Pro Kabaddi franchise plans to build its squad for Season 13. Before a single bid is placed at the auction, each of the 12 teams decides which players it keeps, which players it lets go, and how much of its salary purse it is willing to lock in early. This tracker explains exactly how retention works, which players are already tied to their teams by contract, and what the benchmark numbers from Season 12 tell us about the decisions coming next.
PKL 13 Retained Players: Quick Status
Here is a fast summary of everything currently known about the Season 13 retention process. Rows marked “Awaiting” will be filled in once the official announcement arrives.
| Detail | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Official Season 13 retention list | Awaiting official announcement |
| Expected timing | Before the player auction, which is reported for October 18 to 25, 2026 |
| Retention categories | Elite Retained Players (ERP), Retained Young Players (RYP), Existing New Young Players (NYP) |
| Season 12 total retentions | 83 players (25 ERP, 23 RYP, 35 NYP) |
| Season 12 salary purse | INR 5 crore per franchise |
| Organiser | Mashal Sports |
| Official source | prokabaddi.com and the official Pro Kabaddi social channels |
What Does “Retained” Mean in Pro Kabaddi?
In the Pro Kabaddi League, a retained player is someone a franchise chooses to keep on its roster before the auction instead of releasing him into the open player pool. Retention protects a team’s core, rewards players who performed well, and gives coaches continuity heading into a new season. It also comes with a cost, because every retained player’s salary is deducted from the team’s auction purse.
The league does not treat every retained player the same way. There are separate categories, each with its own purpose and eligibility rules. Understanding these categories is the key to reading any PKL 13 retained players announcement correctly, because a team with ten retentions may have spent far less than a team with only four, depending on which categories those players sit in.
Elite Retained Players (ERP)
Elite Retained Players are established senior players that a franchise wants to keep. These are usually proven raiders, defenders, or all-rounders who were important to the team in the previous season. ERP decisions attract the most attention because they tend to involve the biggest names and the largest salaries. In Season 12, 25 players were kept in the ERP category across all franchises.
Retained Young Players (RYP)
Retained Young Players are younger players who came through the league’s young-player pathway and have since been moved on to a longer contract. Fan outlets that track contracts report that when a New Young Player finishes his initial two-year deal, a franchise that wants to keep him must offer an RYP contract, otherwise he becomes available. In Season 12, 23 players were retained as RYPs.
Existing New Young Players (NYP)
New Young Players are signed on two-year contracts. When a player enters the second year of that deal, he automatically stays with his franchise as an Existing NYP. This is why a large share of every team’s retention list is decided before any franchise meeting even takes place. In Season 12, 35 Existing NYPs stayed with their teams, making it the largest retention category.
Nominated New Young Players
Separate from retention, franchises can also sign fresh young talent directly outside the auction. According to fan outlets covering the rules, these nominated NYPs must be young players who have never appeared in a PKL auction, and each team can sign a limited number per season. Several teams, including Telugu Titans and Tamil Thalaivas, have already announced NYP signings for the coming seasons. For a simple explanation of how these categories fit together, our guide on retained and released players covers the FBM rule and contract basics in Hindi.
Retention Categories at a Glance
| Category | Who It Covers | Season 12 Count |
|---|---|---|
| Elite Retained Players (ERP) | Established senior players kept by choice | 25 |
| Retained Young Players (RYP) | Young players moved on to longer contracts | 23 |
| Existing New Young Players (NYP) | Young players in year two of a two-year deal | 35 |
| Total | 83 |
How PKL 13 Retained Players Affect the Auction Purse
Every retention decision is also a budget decision. In Season 12, each franchise had a total salary purse of INR 5 crore to cover its full squad. The money spent keeping players is subtracted from that figure, and whatever remains is what the team can spend on auction day.
This creates a real trade-off. A team that keeps several expensive senior players arrives at the auction with a smaller purse and fewer open slots, which limits its ability to chase marquee names. A team that releases most of its roster arrives with more money but has to rebuild chemistry from scratch. The smartest franchises usually retain a spine of key performers and cheap young players, then use the auction to fill specific gaps.
Season 13’s purse figure has not been officially confirmed yet. Once the league publishes the retention list, the remaining purse for each team becomes the most important number heading into the PKL Season 13 auction, because it shows who can afford a bidding war and who will be shopping in the lower categories.
PKL 13 Retained Players Already Locked In by Contract
Not every one of the PKL 13 retained players depends on a new decision. Some players signed multi-season deals at the Season 12 auction, which means their place for Season 13 was effectively settled a year ago. The most important of these came through the Final Bid Match (FBM) card, which lets a franchise match the winning bid for its own former player.
At the Season 12 auction, the FBM card could be used for either one season or two seasons. A two-season FBM carries the player into Season 13 automatically, while a one-season FBM ends after Season 12. The official Pro Kabaddi auction reports confirm the following multi-season deals.
| Player | Team | Season 12 Price | Contract Type | Season 13 Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashu Malik (Raider) | Dabang Delhi K.C. | INR 1.90 crore | FBM, two seasons | Contracted for Season 13 |
| Deepak Singh (Right Cover) | Patna Pirates | INR 86 lakh | FBM, two seasons | Contracted for Season 13 |
Ashu Malik is the headline name here. The defending champions used their FBM card after a bidding battle involving Telugu Titans, Puneri Paltan, and Bengal Warriorz, keeping one of the league’s best raiders for two seasons. His presence gives Delhi a guaranteed attacking leader for the title defence, and you can see how he fits into the wider roster in our Dabang Delhi K.C. squad breakdown.
By contrast, Bengal Warriorz used one-season FBM cards on defenders Nitesh Kumar and Mayur Jagannath Kadam for Season 12. Those deals do not automatically carry over, so both players depend on a fresh Bengal decision before Season 13.
PKL 13 Retained Players: Team-by-Team Tracker
The table below will be completed as soon as the official PKL 13 retained players list is published. Until then, it shows the structure every team’s retention announcement will follow, so you can compare franchises at a glance on the day.
| Team | ERP | RYP | Existing NYP | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengal Warriorz | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| Bengaluru Bulls | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| Dabang Delhi K.C. | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Ashu Malik contracted |
| Gujarat Giants | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| Haryana Steelers | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| Patna Pirates | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Deepak Singh contracted |
| Puneri Paltan | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| Tamil Thalaivas | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| Telugu Titans | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| U Mumba | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
| UP Yoddhas | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Awaiting official list |
Bengal Warriorz
Bengal Warriorz enter the PKL 13 retained players process after they finished 12th in the Season 12 league table with six wins from 18 matches and a score difference of -104. Their biggest auction move last year was signing raider Devank Dalal for INR 2.205 crore, the highest price paid for an Indian player at that auction. The key retention questions for Bengal are how they structure their defence after the one-season FBM deals for Nitesh Kumar and Mayur Kadam, and how much purse they commit to keeping their attacking core together.
Bengaluru Bulls
The Bulls finished third with 11 wins and the best score difference in the league at +97, before losing to Telugu Titans in the Mini-Qualifier and Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2. At the Season 12 auction, they made defender Yogesh Dahiya the most expensive Indian defender in PKL history at the time, paying INR 1.125 crore, and also added Sanjay Dhull for INR 60 lakh. A strong league-stage unit usually means a longer list of PKL 13 retained players, so the Bulls are a team to watch for continuity.
Dabang Delhi K.C.
The defending champions enter the retention window in a strong position. Ashu Malik is already contracted through the two-season FBM, and Fazel Atrachali, signed at his base price of INR 30 lakh in Season 12, went on to be named the season’s Most Valuable Player. Delhi’s challenge is balancing loyalty to a title-winning group with the need to keep enough purse free to refresh the squad.
Gujarat Giants
Gujarat made the biggest splash at the Season 12 auction by signing Iranian all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui for INR 2.23 crore, making him the first player to cross INR 2 crore in three straight seasons. The team still finished 11th with six wins. Any decision involving a player at that price level has a huge effect on the remaining purse, which makes Gujarat’s PKL 13 retained players list one of the most important to follow.
Haryana Steelers
Haryana entered Season 12 as defending champions and finished fifth before losing Play-in 1 to Jaipur. In Season 12 they kept defender Jaideep Dahiya as an Elite Retained Player and bought raider Naveen Kumar for INR 1.20 crore. Their choice of PKL 13 retained players will reveal whether they build around that experienced core or reset for a younger squad.
Jaipur Pink Panthers
Jaipur finished eighth, beat Haryana 30-27 in Play-in 1, and then lost 48-32 to Patna Pirates in Eliminator 1. Their headline Season 12 signing was raider Nitin Kumar Dhankhar for INR 1.002 crore. With a negative score difference of -48 despite reaching the postseason, Jaipur’s PKL 13 retained players could signal a meaningful shake-up.
Patna Pirates
Patna produced one of Season 12’s best stories, climbing from seventh place through three knockout wins before losing to Telugu Titans in Eliminator 3. Ayan Lohchab led the league with 316 raid points and Navdeep topped the tackle charts with 73 tackle points. Deepak Singh is already contracted through a two-season FBM, and how Patna handles its young stars will shape one of the most interesting PKL 13 retained players lists.
Puneri Paltan
Puneri topped the league table with 13 wins and a +88 score difference before losing the Final 31-28 to Delhi. In Season 12, the franchise kept both Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat as Elite Retained Players. A league-winning core usually encourages a franchise to keep most of its main contributors, so Puneri’s PKL 13 retained players list could be long, and the team could arrive at the auction with a relatively settled roster.
Tamil Thalaivas
Tamil Thalaivas retained 10 players before the Season 12 auction, the most of any team, and then bought Arjun Deshwal for INR 1.405 crore and Pawan Sehrawat for INR 59.50 lakh. Despite that star power, they won only six of 18 matches and finished tenth. This makes their PKL 13 retained players list a true test of whether the franchise chooses continuity or a clean rebuild. They have already signed new NYPs for Seasons 13 and 14.
Telugu Titans
Telugu Titans finished fourth and then made a strong postseason run, beating Bengaluru Bulls and Patna Pirates before losing Qualifier 2 to Puneri Paltan. They signed right corner Shubham Shinde for INR 80 lakh at the Season 12 auction and have already added four NYPs for the new cycle. A team that came one win from the Final has strong reasons to keep its core intact.
U Mumba
U Mumba finished sixth with 10 wins and lost to Patna in the Play-ins. Before Season 12, they kept defender Sunil Kumar and Iranian all-rounder Amirmohammad Zafardanesh as Elite Retained Players, and at the auction they spent INR 78 lakh on all-rounder Aanil Mohan. Their PKL 13 retained players choices will show whether they back the same leadership group again.
UP Yoddhas
UP finished ninth with seven wins and missed the postseason. In Season 12 they kept Surender Gill as an Elite Retained Player and bought raider Guman Singh for INR 1.073 crore. After a season just outside the playoff places, UP’s PKL 13 retained players list could lean towards selective retention and a bigger auction purse.
Season 12 Retention Numbers: The Benchmark
The most reliable way to predict the shape of the PKL 13 retained players announcement is to look at the last one. The Season 12 retention list was announced on May 17, 2025, about two weeks before the auction held on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai.
| Season 12 Retention Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total players retained | 83 |
| Elite Retained Players | 25 |
| Retained Young Players | 23 |
| Existing New Young Players | 35 |
| Team with most retentions | Tamil Thalaivas (10) |
| Players in the auction pool | 500+ |
| Salary purse per team | INR 5 crore |
One major talking point from that announcement was that Delhi did not retain star raider Naveen Kumar, who entered the auction for the first time after scoring 1,102 raid points for the franchise across six seasons. He was bought by Haryana Steelers for INR 1.20 crore. That example shows that even club legends can end up in the auction pool when retention strategy and purse planning point in another direction.
Which Teams Could Retain the Most PKL 13 Players?
No official numbers exist yet, but a few factors usually decide how long each franchise’s list becomes.
Factor 1: Season 12 Performance
When it comes to PKL 13 retained players, teams that performed well, such as Puneri Paltan, Dabang Delhi K.C., Bengaluru Bulls, and Telugu Titans, have less reason to break up their squads. Teams that struggled, such as Bengal Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, and Tamil Thalaivas, may prefer a larger purse and a fresh start.
Factor 2: Contract Commitments
Existing NYPs and two-season FBM players stay automatically, so franchises that invested heavily in young players and multi-year deals will naturally show longer lists.
Factor 3: Purse Strategy
A franchise planning to chase a marquee raider or defender at the auction needs purse room. That often means letting go of mid-priced players who are good but not essential.
Factor 4: Coaching Changes
New head coaches often want to shape their own squads. Gujarat Giants have appointed Randhir Singh Sehrawat as head coach, and Patna Pirates and UP Yoddhas have also changed their coaching setups, which could influence their retention decisions.
When Will the Official PKL 13 Retained Players List Be Released?
The league has not announced a date. In Season 12, the list arrived about two weeks before the auction. If Season 13 follows a similar pattern and the auction lands in the reported October 18 to 25 window, the retention announcement could arrive in early October. Treat this as an estimate based on last season’s timing, not a confirmed schedule.
How to Verify PKL 13 Retained Players Information
The PKL 13 retained players window always brings a wave of rumours, “leaked” lists, and prediction videos. Many of them are useful as discussion, but they are not official. Before trusting any list, check it against these sources:
- The official league website, prokabaddi.com, which publishes the full ERP, RYP, and NYP lists.
- The official Pro Kabaddi accounts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
- Each franchise’s own official social media accounts, which usually post their retention graphics on announcement day.
Prediction articles from fan outlets can help you understand contract situations, but only the official announcement confirms the real PKL 13 retained players.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the PKL 13 retained players list been announced?
No. As of September 25, 2026, the official Season 13 retention list has not been released. This page will be updated as soon as the league publishes it.
How many players can a PKL team retain?
Retention is split across the ERP, RYP, and Existing NYP categories, and the exact limits are set by the league each season. In Season 12, franchises retained 83 players in total, with Tamil Thalaivas keeping the most at 10.
Which players are already confirmed for Season 13?
Ashu Malik (Dabang Delhi K.C.) and Deepak Singh (Patna Pirates) were signed through two-season FBM deals at the Season 12 auction, which carries them into Season 13. Existing NYPs in the second year of their contracts also stay automatically.
Does retaining players reduce a team’s auction purse?
Yes. The salaries of retained players are deducted from the team’s total purse, which was INR 5 crore per franchise in Season 12. The remaining amount is what the team can spend at the auction.
What happens to players who are not retained?
Players left off the PKL 13 retained players list are released into the auction pool, where any franchise can bid for them. Their former team may still bring them back using a Final Bid Match card if it matches the winning bid.
Where can I find the official PKL 13 retained players list?
The official list will be published on prokabaddi.com and the official Pro Kabaddi social media channels. This page will also add the complete team-by-team list as soon as it is released.
About The Author
