Royal Challengers Bangalore finally won their first IPL trophy in 2025. The wait of 18 years ended with pure joy for fans. Now they want to keep the winning formula intact for IPL 2026.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Retained and Released Players List
| Retained Players | Released Players |
| Rajat Patidar Virat Kohli Phil Salt Devdutt Padikkal Jitesh Sharma Tim David Romario Shepherd Jacob Bethell Krunal Pandya Josh Hazlewood Bhuvneshwar Kumar Nuwan Thushara Suyash Sharma Swapnil SIngh Rasikh Salam Abhinandan Singh | Swastik Chikara Mayank Agarwal Tim Seifert Liam Livingstone Manoj Bhandage Lungi Ngidi Blessing Muzarabani Mohit Rathee |
Remaining Purse – ₹ 16.4 CR
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Smart Retention Plan for IPL 2026
RCB decided not to break their championship squad completely. They kept most stars who delivered the title last season. Captain Rajat Patidar will stay to lead the team again next year.
Virat Kohli remains with them as their senior batting star. Phil Salt returns as the explosive opener who scored quick runs. Jitesh Sharma keeps the wicketkeeping duties and finishes games well. Josh Hazlewood leads the pace attack with his accurate bowling.
Royal Challengers Bangalore retained both overseas stars and solid Indian players. This mix worked perfectly in IPL 2025 when they lifted the cup. The management believes that changing too much can ruin team chemistry badly.
RCB Retained and Released Players List
The retained men give RCB a strong base for IPL 2026. Besides the big names, several young talents also stayed back. They want these youngsters to grow into match-winners over time.
But some expensive buys had to go from the squad. Liam Livingstone cost a lot but didn’t perform as expected. Lungi Ngidi also got released after disappointing performances throughout the season. These tough calls freed up money for the mini-auction ahead.
RCB now has around ₹18-23 crore left in their purse. This amount lets them buy specific players they need badly. The released list made space for fresh additions without breaking the budget.
What They Need in Mini-Auction
Royal Challengers Bangalore wants a left-handed finisher who can hit big sixes. Their current squad lacks this type of batter at the death. An experienced Indian pacer is also on their shopping list now.
The team needs a backup overseas spinner too. Injuries happen during long tournaments like IPL 2026. Having quality replacements keeps the squad strong when problems come up.
RCB will also look at young domestic cricketers in the auction. Finding hidden talents early helps build a team for many years. The defending champions know one good auction can set them up perfectly.
