RCB IPL 2026 Squad – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) enter IPL 2026 as defending champions after winning their maiden IPL title in 2025. Under captain Rajat Patidar, RCB aim to become the first back-to-back champions since Mumbai Indians (2019–2020). Check the full IPL 2026 Schedule and our RCB Defending Champions analysis.
RCB IPL 2026 Key Details
| Detail |
Info |
| Captain |
Rajat Patidar |
| Coach |
Andy Flower |
| Home Ground |
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Group |
Group B |
| Status |
🏆 Defending IPL Champions (won 2025 final vs PBKS) |
| Titles Won |
1 (2025) |
| Official Site |
royalchallengers.com |
RCB IPL 2026 Complete Squad
Source: Official RCB Squad (royalchallengers.com) & IPLT20.com
Batters
| Player |
Nationality |
Type |
| Rajat Patidar (C) |
India |
Batter |
| Virat Kohli |
India |
Batter |
| Phil Salt |
England 🌍 |
Batter / WK |
| Devdutt Padikkal |
India |
Batter |
All-Rounders
| Player |
Nationality |
Type |
| Tim David |
Singapore 🌍 |
All-Rounder |
| Jacob Bethell |
England 🌍 |
All-Rounder |
| Romario Shepherd |
West Indies 🌍 |
All-Rounder |
| Krunal Pandya |
India |
All-Rounder |
| Venkatesh Iyer |
India |
All-Rounder |
| Swapnil Singh |
India |
All-Rounder |
| Abhinandan Singh |
India |
All-Rounder |
Wicket-Keepers
| Player |
Nationality |
Type |
| Jitesh Sharma |
India |
Wicket-Keeper |
| Jordan Cox |
England 🌍 |
Wicket-Keeper |
Bowlers
| Player |
Nationality |
Type |
| Josh Hazlewood |
Australia 🌍 |
Bowler (Pace) |
| Nuwan Thushara |
Sri Lanka 🌍 |
Bowler (Pace) |
| Yash Dayal |
India |
Bowler (Pace) |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar |
India |
Bowler (Pace) |
| Rasikh Dar |
India |
Bowler (Pace) |
| Suyash Sharma |
India |
Bowler (Spin) |
| Kamindu Mendis |
Sri Lanka 🌍 |
Bowler / All-Rounder |
RCB IPL 2026 — Retentions vs Auction Buys
Retained Players
| Player |
Retention Amount (₹ Cr) |
Role |
| Rajat Patidar |
11.00 |
Batter / Captain |
| Virat Kohli |
21.00 |
Batter |
| Phil Salt |
11.50 |
Batter / WK |
| Josh Hazlewood |
12.50 |
Bowler |
| Jacob Bethell |
2.60 |
All-Rounder |
| Devdutt Padikkal |
2.00 |
Batter |
| Romario Shepherd |
1.50 |
All-Rounder |
| Nuwan Thushara |
1.60 |
Bowler |
| Jitesh Sharma |
11.00 |
WK-Batter |
| Krunal Pandya |
5.75 |
All-Rounder |
| Rasikh Dar |
6.00 |
Bowler |
| Tim David |
3.00 |
All-Rounder |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar |
10.75 |
Bowler |
| Yash Dayal |
5.00 |
Bowler |
| Suyash Sharma |
2.60 |
Bowler |
| Swapnil Singh |
0.50 |
All-Rounder |
| Abhinandan Singh |
0.30 |
All-Rounder |
Auction Buys
| Player |
Price (₹ Cr) |
Role |
| Venkatesh Iyer |
7.00 |
All-Rounder |
| Kamindu Mendis |
0.75 |
All-Rounder 🌍 |
| Jordan Cox |
0.75 |
WK-Batter 🌍 |
| Smaran Ravichandaran |
0.30 |
Bowler |
| Zeeshan Ansari |
0.40 |
Bowler |
RCB Probable Playing XI for IPL 2026
- Virat Kohli
- Phil Salt (wk)
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Tim David
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Krunal Pandya
- Romario Shepherd
- Josh Hazlewood
- Yash Dayal
- Nuwan Thushara
Impact Player option: Jacob Bethell or Suyash Sharma
RCB IPL 2026 Squad Strengths
- Virat Kohli — Most consistent IPL run-scorer of all time; hungry for a second championship
- Tim David — One of the most destructive finishers in T20 cricket globally
- Josh Hazlewood — Elite right-arm pace; adds wicket-taking ability in all phases
- Jacob Bethell — England’s exciting young left-handed all-rounder; a T20 match-winner
- Venkatesh Iyer — Quality all-rounder at ₹7 crore adds batting depth and seam options
- Champion’s mindset — Winning the 2025 title has transformed belief across the franchise
RCB IPL 2026 Squad Concerns
- Defending champions face heightened opposition focus — every team lifts against RCB
- Middle-order depth beyond Tim David and Venkatesh Iyer needs proving in match conditions
- Spin options relatively thin if Suyash Sharma underperforms
RCB IPL 2026 Verdict
With Virat Kohli’s hunger undiminished and the champion’s dressing room culture intact, RCB are genuine favourites to defend their title. Back-to-back IPL champions is no longer just a dream at Chinnaswamy. Follow all matches on the IPL 2026 Schedule and track RCB’s progress on the IPL 2026 Points Table.
More IPL 2026 Squad Pages
