Royal Challengers Bengaluru wrapped up their auction business perfectly in Abu Dhabi. The defending champions added eight fresh faces to strengthen their squad. RCB spent almost their entire budget wisely at the December 16, 2025 auction. Only ₹0.25 crore remained in their purse after all purchases finished.
Big Names Join RCB Squad 2026
Venkatesh Iyer became the standout signing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru at this year’s auction. The all-rounder brings batting power and bowling options to the team. Jacob Duffy joined as their new pace bowling weapon from overseas. Mangesh Yadav got picked up to add more Indian fast bowling depth.
Jordan Cox signed on as their versatile batting option too. The RCB squad 2026 now looks perfectly balanced across all departments. These new players will work alongside their retained core group.
Retained Stars Lead the Way
Rajat Patidar takes charge as captain for the IPL 2026 season confidently. Virat Kohli remains the heart and soul of this franchise. Devdutt Padikkal returns to add left-handed batting variety up front. Phil Salt stays as their explosive overseas opener for matches.
Jitesh Sharma keeps wickets and finishes innings powerfully when needed. Josh Hazlewood leads their pace attack with experience and skills. The players list includes other quality performers across different roles. Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept faith in performers who delivered during their championship run.
RCB Squad for IPL 2026
| S. No. | Player Name | Acquisition Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajat Patidar (c) | Retained |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | Retained |
| 3 | Devdutt Padikkal | Retained |
| 4 | Phil Salt | Retained |
| 5 | Jitesh Sharma | Retained |
| 6 | Krunal Pandya | Retained |
| 7 | Swapnil Singh | Retained |
| 8 | Tim David | Retained |
| 9 | Romario Shepherd | Retained |
| 10 | Jacob Bethell | Retained |
| 11 | Josh Hazlewood | Retained |
| 12 | Yash Dayal | Retained |
| 13 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Retained |
| 14 | Nuwan Thushara | Retained |
| 15 | Rasikh Salam | Retained |
| 16 | Abhinandan Singh | Retained |
| 17 | Suyash Sharma | Retained |
| 18 | Venkatesh Iyer | Auction |
| 19 | Jacob Duffy | Auction |
| 20 | Satvik Deswal | Auction |
| 21 | Mangesh Yadav | Auction |
| 22 | Jordan Cox | Auction |
| 23 | Vicky Ostwal | Auction |
| 24 | Vihaan Malhotra | Auction |
| 25 | Kanishk Chouhan | Auction |
Complete Squad Ready for Action
The RCB squad 2026 filled all available slots including overseas players now. The franchise showed smart planning throughout the entire auction process. They identified gaps early and targeted specific players accordingly.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru enters IPL 2026 as defending champions with confidence. Their balanced squad mixes experience with young talent perfectly here. The players list suggests they’re serious about retaining their title. Fans expect another strong season from this exciting Bengaluru lineup ahead.
