Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally broke their trophy drought in 2025. They won their first-ever IPL title after 18 years. Now, RCB wants to keep their winning team together. The RCB retained players 2026 list will include most championship heroes.
Virat Kohli obviously stays as the backbone of the batting lineup. Phil Salt and Tim David also remain crucial for the team’s plans. The franchise has ₹18.20-23.20 crore left for auction shopping smartly.
Key Players in RCB Retained Players for IPL 2026
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Virat Kohli
- Phil Salt
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Jitesh Sharma
- Tim David
- Jacob Bethell
- Krunal Pandya
- Romario Shepherd
- Josh Hazlewood
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Yash Dayal
- Suyash Sharma
- Nuwan Thushara
Virat Kohli brings stability and massive experience to RCB’s batting order. He scores runs consistently during powerplay overs and middle phases. Phil Salt opens the innings with aggressive intent nowadays.
Tim David finishes games brilliantly when the team needs big hitting desperately. Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal strengthen the middle-order batting further. Jitesh Sharma provides wicketkeeping skills along with explosive batting ability.
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The IPL 2026 RCB retained players focus on a balanced combination throughout. These players won the title together and understand each other perfectly.
Bowling Attack in RCB Retained Players for IPL 2026
Josh Hazlewood leads RCB’s pace attack with his quality bowling skills. Bhuvneshwar Kumar brings years of experience in death bowling situations. Yash Dayal bowls left-arm pace. He will give variety to the attack. Krunal Pandya offers spin bowling and useful lower-order batting contributions.
The RCB retained players 2026 bowling group covers all match situations. They can handle powerplay, middle overs, and death overs equally well. This diversity helped RCB win close matches throughout last season.
Also Read: CSK Retained Players 2026 – Checkout the Full List
What RCB Needs from IPL 2026 Mini-Auction
The IPL 2026 RCB retained players give a solid foundation for defending the title. But RCB still needs quality bowlers who deliver under pressure. A left-handed middle-order batter remains on their shopping list urgently.
The RCB retained players for IPL 2026 will combine with new signings. Smart auction buys can fix remaining gaps in squad composition. The defending champions want to keep winning consistently going forward.
