Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally broke their 18-year trophy drought last season. The champions are now planning smart moves for the IPL 2026 mini-auction. They want to keep their winning combination intact while making small upgrades.
RCB Released Players 2026 List and Budget Impact
The RCB released players 2026 strategy focuses on creating extra funds. Three players are expected to leave the squad before the IPL 2026 auction.
- Liam Livingstone
- Lungi Ngidi
- Swapnil Singh
Liam Livingstone will likely be the first name on the exit list. Lungi Ngidi is another overseas player heading towards the release door. Swapnil Singh might also get released from the defending champions’ roster.
These released players will free up nearly INR 10.5 crore combined. Livingstone and Ngidi alone contribute INR 10 crore to this amount. Swapnil Singh adds another 50 lakhs to the purse available.
This extra money gives RCB flexibility for IPL 2026 planning. The franchise can now target high-impact players in the mini-auction.
Star Players RCB Will Retain
Captain Rajat Patidar leads the list of players staying back. His leadership brought RCB their maiden title last year. Virat Kohli remains the heart and soul of this team forever. The legendary batter isn’t going anywhere from Bengaluru obviously.
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar will continue leading the bowling attack for IPL 2026. Tim David and Phil Salt bring explosive batting power. Josh Hazlewood provides quality pace bowling from the overseas quota.
Jitesh Sharma played crucial knocks throughout the winning campaign last season. Devdutt Paddikal showed his class with consistent performances for RCB. Both youngsters have earned their spots in the squad firmly.
Trade Market and Financial Planning
RCB spent a massive INR 119.25 crore in the mega auction. They have only INR 75 lakhs left in their current purse. The released players will significantly boost this available budget now.
Interestingly, RCB hasn’t made a noise in the trade market yet. Other franchises are busy swapping players left and right currently. But defending champions prefer keeping things quiet and stable instead.
The mini-auction for IPL 2026 will happen soon in December. RCB management wants to add just one or two quality players. Their championship-winning formula doesn’t need major changes at all.
