Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) entered the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a clear strategy to bolster their squad, armed with a purse of ₹16.40 crore and eight available slots. The defending champions aimed to add depth to their pace attack and find a dynamic batter to potentially challenge Devdutt Padikkal.
Auction Highlights
RCB's first major move at the auction was securing the services of Venkatesh Iyer for ₹7 crore. Iyer, a batting all-rounder, is expected to slot in at number three and provide a valuable bowling option. The franchise also picked up New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy for ₹2 crore as a backup for Josh Hazlewood. Duffy has been the most successful international bowler this calendar year, claiming 72 wickets.
Retained Players
Prior to the auction, RCB retained a strong core of 17 players:
- Batters: Virat Kohli (₹21 cr), Rajat Patidar (c) (₹11 cr), Devdutt Padikkal (₹2 cr) , Phil Salt (₹11.5 cr)
- Wicket-Keeper: Jitesh Sharma (₹11 cr)
- All-rounders: Krunal Pandya (₹5.75 cr), Tim David (₹3 cr), Romario Shepherd (₹1.5 cr), Jacob Bethell (₹2.6 cr), Swapnil Singh (₹50 L)
- Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood (₹12.5 cr), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (₹10.75 cr), Yash Dayal (₹5 cr), Nuwan Thushara (₹1.6 cr), Rasikh Salam (₹6 cr), Abhinandan Singh (₹30 L), Suyash Sharma (₹2.6 cr)
Released Players
RCB released several players before the auction, including:
- Swastik Chikara
- Mayank Agarwal
- Liam Livingstone
- Manoj Bhandage
- Lungi Ngidi
- Mohit Rathee
RCB's Full Squad for IPL 2026
Following the auction, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's full squad for IPL 2026 is as follows:
- Virat Kohli
- Phil Salt
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar
- Tim David
- Krunal Pandya
- Romario Shepherd
- Jitesh Sharma
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Yash Dayal
- Josh Hazlewood
- Suyash Sharma
- Abhinandan Singh
- Jacob Bethell
- Nuwan Thushara
- Rasikh Dar
- Swapnil Singh
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Jacob Duffy
With a mix of retained stars and strategic acquisitions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru appear well-prepared to defend their IPL title in 2026.
