Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter IPL 2026 as defending champions for the first time in their history. After ending 18 years of heartbreak with their maiden IPL title in June 2025, the franchise has taken a clear-eyed approach to squad building: keep what worked, fix what did not, and trust the core. Did RCB get their retention strategy right?
The Retained Core: Who Stayed?
RCB retained 17 players from their championship-winning squad, with stability the priority heading into the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The heart of their title-winning team remains intact. Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma form the batting unit. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar anchor the bowling attack. All-rounders Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell and Swapnil Singh provide balance and depth.
Full RCB IPL 2026 Retained Squad
| Player | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Rajat Patidar (C) | Batter | India |
| Virat Kohli | Batter | India |
| Phil Salt | WK Batter | England |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Batter | India |
| Jitesh Sharma | WK Batter | India |
| Tim David | All-Rounder | Singapore |
| Krunal Pandya | All-Rounder | India |
| Romario Shepherd | All-Rounder | West Indies |
| Jacob Bethell | All-Rounder | England |
| Swapnil Singh | All-Rounder | India |
| Josh Hazlewood | Bowler | Australia |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Bowler | India |
| Yash Dayal | Bowler | India |
| Rasikh Salam Dar | Bowler | India |
| Suyash Sharma | Bowler | India |
| Nuwan Thushara | Bowler | Sri Lanka |
| Abhinandan Singh | Bowler | India |
Who Did RCB Release?
RCB made targeted releases to free up salary cap space and overseas slots for the mini-auction. The most notable departure was Liam Livingstone, who scored only 112 runs in 10 matches despite a significant price tag. Lungi Ngidi was also released as RCB sought to use that overseas pace slot more strategically.
Players Released
Liam Livingstone, Mayank Agarwal, Lungi Ngidi, Manoj Bhandage, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Blessing Muzarabani.
IPL 2026 Mini-Auction Additions
At the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, RCB targeted specific squad gaps. Venkatesh Iyer was acquired for 7 crore, bringing batting depth and all-round ability to the middle order. Mangesh Yadav arrived for 5.20 crore as a promising young Indian pace option. Jordan Cox joined as wicketkeeper cover and Jacob Duffy as overseas pace backup. RCB had 16.40 crore and eight slots available going into the auction.
Can RCB Defend the IPL Title in 2026?
No team has successfully retained the IPL trophy since Mumbai Indians won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020. That history looms large over RCB's 2026 campaign. The retained core of Kohli, Patidar, Salt, Tim David and Hazlewood is the backbone of a genuine title defence. The one area of concern remains spin bowling depth, with Liam Livingstone's departure removing their most experienced spin-bowling all-rounder. Will Suyash Sharma and Swapnil Singh step up to fill that role?
"Keep what worked, fix what did not. That is RCB's approach for 2026 and it is hard to argue with it."