RCB Retained Players IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Prediction
RCB retained players IPL 2026 – Full list of predicted Royal Challengers Bengaluru retentions with key all-rounders, top stars, and team strategy ahead of the mega auction
It’s been only a few months since Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) created history by winning their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2025, but the achievement still feels surreal. After 17 long seasons of heartbreaks and near misses, the RCB team finally lifted the IPL trophy, bringing immense joy to their loyal fanbase. For the fans, this victory was more than just a title—it was an emotion. After years of chanting “Ee Sala Cup Namde” with hope, they can finally say “Ee Sala Cup Namdu” with pride, as RCB’s long wait for glory has finally ended.
With Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally experiencing success by winning their maiden IPL title in 2025, the franchise can’t afford to relax. As the saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and RCB’s next big responsibility is to plan their retentions for IPL 2026. Since they are the reigning champions, RCB’s retained and released players list for IPL 2026 will be different compared to the other nine teams.
Having built a title-winning squad, their retention strategy will focus more on continuity, and long-term balance rather than wholesale changes. It will be fascinating to see which players RCB decides to trust again and who they let go ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction. The team will mostly be conservative when it comes to releasing players ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction. Having finally won the title, RCB would prefer to retain as many players as possible to keep their winning momentum intact.
RCB Retained Players List 2026 Explained
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), fresh off their historic IPL 2025 title win, are expected to back the same group of players who helped them lift the coveted trophy. The franchise has built a strong core, and the RCB retained players list for IPL 2026 will largely feature those match-winners. Among the confirmed names, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, and Devdutt Padikkal are the key batters who will continue to anchor the lineup.
For the wicket-keeper slots, Phil Salt and Jitesh Sharma are likely to be retained. In the all-rounders’ department, Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd provide balance with both bat and ball. The bowling unit also looks solid with Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Suyash Sharma set to remain with the squad. This combination of experienced campaigners and young talent ensures that RCB enters IPL 2026 with a well-rounded retained core.
Apart from the confirmed 12 core names, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are also expected to retain Jacob Bethell, Lungi Ngidi, and Nuwan Thushara as part of their overseas group. These three players contributed significantly to RCB’s IPL 2025 title triumph, making the most of every opportunity they got. Even if used as backups in IPL 2026, Bethell, Ngidi, and Thushara bring depth and reliability, ensuring the team has quality overseas options across departments.
IPL 2026 Ideal Retained Squad and Players List for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Batters
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Mayank Agarwal
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Swastik Chikara
- Tim David (o)
- Virat Kohli
WKs
- Jitesh Sharma
- Phil Salt (o)
All-rounders
- Jacob Bethell (o)
- Krunal Pandya
- Manoj Bhandage
- Romario Shephard (o)
- Swapnil Singh
Bowlers
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Josh Hazlewood (o)
- Lungi Ngidi (o)
- Nuwan Thushara (o)
- Rasikh Dar
- Suyash Sharma
- Yash Dayal
Coming to the target players for the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, the IPL 2025 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), are expected to retain most of their core. This means RCB won’t make too many signings but will still look at a few impactful additions. With Liam Livingstone and a few other players likely to be released, RCB could enter the Auction with an estimated 15-20 Cr purse. With this budget, RCB may target big names like Venkatesh Iyer, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Shami, Cameron Green, and Mayank Yadav. Each of these players can add significant balance and firepower, making RCB an even stronger unit for IPL 2026.
RCB Released Players List 2026 Explained
When it comes to RCB released players for IPL 2026, there are a few names likely to be shown the exit door ahead of the Mini Auction. The biggest name on the radar is Liam Livingstone. Similar to Glenn Maxwell in recent years, Livingstone seems least interested in the IPL, and given his high price tag, it makes sense for RCB to release him and look for better options. Apart from Livingstone, the franchise is also expected to release Abhinandan Singh and Mohit Rathee, making space for fresh and impactful players at the IPL 2026 Auction.
So, that’s about the best retained players list for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026. Overall, the franchise is expected to retain 20 players, which leaves space for one more Overseas signing and 4–5 Indian additions at the IPL 2026 Auction. With Liam Livingstone likely to be released, RCB will have around 8–9 Cr in their purse to target fresh players. If the purse strength increases, expect RCB to go after a couple of more solid match-winners to further strengthen their squad for the new season.
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