The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, are entering IPL 2026 on the back of their maiden title win in 2025. After an 18-year wait, the team finally lifted the trophy, and now the focus is on retaining the core that brought them success while making strategic tweaks for the upcoming season.
RCB have retained 17 players from their title-winning squad, keeping their match-winners intact and releasing a few high-cost or fringe players to create flexibility.
With players like Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, and Mayank Agarwal among the released, the team heads into the December 16 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi with a purse of ₹16.40 crore and eight slots to fill, including two overseas spots.
This article will cover RCB’s confirmed player retentions for IPL 2026, key releases, and their strategy heading into the mini-auction.
Latest RCB Retention Updates
RCB have retained 17 players from their championship-winning squad. While stability is the priority, a few high-cost or fringe players were released to create flexibility.
- Liam Livingstone is the most notable release. Bought for ₹8.75 crore, he scored only 112 runs in 10 matches, failing to justify his price tag.
- Overseas pacer Lungi Ngidi and Mayank Agarwal have also been released, along with domestic players Manoj Bhandage, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, and Blessing Muzarabani.
- Key Indian bowling options, including Yash Dayal and Rasikh Dar, were retained despite a mixed 2025 season.
- Star performers like Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, Josh Hazlewood, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar form the foundation of the team.
- By releasing eight players, RCB enters the mini-auction with a purse of ₹16.40 crore and eight slots to fill (including two overseas).
RCB Squad in IPL 2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru entered the 2025 season with big ambitions, keeping their core intact and making impactful additions to strengthen both batting and bowling.
Take a look at how RCB finalized its squad for IPL 2025:
Squad
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Mohit Rathee, Abhinandan Singh, Swastik Chikara, Manoj Bhandage
For IPL 2025, RCB retained core performers like Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. The focus was on stability at the top and domestic depth. In the auction, they added firepower and balance through overseas signings like Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, and strong bowling options to round out the squad.
RCB Player Retentions 2026
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to strike a balance between holding on to match-winners and freeing up funds for strategic buys. Their retention decisions will depend on contracts, performance, and squad balance.
They are likely to retain main players who delivered in IPL 2025, while releasing overseas or underwhelming performers to refresh their squad.
Here is the confirmed player retention for RCB before IPL 2026:
- Batters & WKs: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma
- All‑Rounders: Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh
- Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh
| Player | Reason for Retention |
|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | Franchise legend, iconic face, consistency, and unmatched experience at the top. |
| Rajat Patidar | Title-winning captain, dependable middle-order anchor, and long-term core investment. |
| Phil Salt | Explosive opener who delivered strong performances and provided stability at the top. |
| Tim David | Explosive finisher, T20 specialist, and crucial middle-order power-hitter. |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Young, promising Indian batter with proven domestic and IPL track record. |
| Jitesh Sharma | Reliable wicketkeeper-batter whose consistent hitting strengthens the lower order. |
| Krunal Pandya | Experienced Indian all-rounder offering squad balance, left-arm spin control, and late-order utility. |
| Romario Shepherd | Overseas all-round option offering batting depth and pace variation. |
| Josh Hazlewood | Lead overseas strike bowler, proven wicket-taker, and control specialist in the Powerplay and death overs. |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Veteran Indian pacer adding control, experience, and leadership to the bowling attack. |
| Yash Dayal | Young Indian pacer retained for his high ceiling and future potential. |
| Rasikh Dar | Promising Indian pace option retained for depth and impact potential. |
| Suyash Sharma | Young Indian leg-spinner adding variety and X-factor to the spin department. |
| Swapnil Singh | Useful domestic all-rounder providing depth, rotation options, and experience. |
| Jacob Bethell | Overseas backup all-rounder strengthening batting depth and offering contingency. |
| Nuwan Thushara | Overseas sling-action fast bowler retained for pace depth and variety. |
| Abhinandan Singh | Domestic player retained for squad depth and long-term talent investment. |
RCB Official Player Releases for IPL 2026
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru prepare for the IPL 2026 mini-auction, they are likely to let go of several players whose performance or cost no longer justifies retention. The goal is to free up salary cap space and improve the team balance.
Here are the likely players RCB will release ahead of IPL 2026.
- Liam Livingstone (All-Rounder): Released after a very expensive and low-impact 2025 season. He just didn’t score enough runs.
- Lungi Ngidi (Bowler): Overseas pacer released. He was mostly a reserve player and the team wants to use that overseas spot differently.
- Mayank Agarwal (Batter): Released. He was an injury replacement last season and is no longer needed in the core batting group.
- Tim Seifert (Wicketkeeper): Released. The team already has Phil Salt and Jitesh Sharma, so he was surplus to requirements.
- Blessing Muzarabani (Bowler): Released. Another overseas pacer let go to improve squad balance.
- Manoj Bhandage (All-Rounder): Domestic player released to free up space for new Indian talent.
- Mohit Rathee (Bowler): Domestic spinner released. The team is looking for a different Indian spin option.
- Swastik Chikara (Batter): Domestic player released as part of the general squad trimming.
RCB’s Auction Strategy for IPL Auction 2026
As defending champions, RCB will look to maintain stability and build on their winning formula rather than completely overhauling the squad. Their focus will be on retaining their core players who performed well in IPL 2025.
- RCB aims to strengthen specific areas like the middle order and pace attack by adding a few well-targeted players to complement the existing team.
- They will prioritize strategic, value-driven signings to support their balanced and experienced lineup.
- The team will focus on backing young Indian talents while ensuring their overseas players continue delivering impact performances.
- Overall, RCB plans a measured approach to the auction, combining continuity with selective improvements for another strong campaign.
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Conclusion: RCB Ready to Build on Their Championship for IPL 2026
Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter IPL 2026 on the back of their first-ever title, keeping 17 key players from last season. With stars like Kohli, Patidar, Salt, Hazlewood, and Bhuvneshwar leading the way, the team focuses on stability while letting go of a few high-cost or underperforming players.
With ₹16.40 crore and eight slots to use in the December 16 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, RCB will look for players who strengthen their middle order and bowling. Combining young Indian talent with strong overseas signings will be key.
With this balance of experience, fresh talent, and winning momentum, RCB is well set to defend their title and remain one of IPL 2026’s strongest teams.
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