Royal Challengers Bangalore finally became IPL champions last season! They ended their 18-year trophy drought with that victory. Fans celebrated like never before across the city. Now, everyone wants to know about RCB trade players 2026 moves. Will they keep the winning squad together or make changes?
Did RCB Trade Any Players This Year?
Here’s the simple answer – no trade happened this season. RCB decided to stick with their winning formula completely. They didn’t swap any stars with other franchises for IPL 2026. The management believes in keeping its champion core intact.
Last year was different though. They got Cameron Green from Mumbai Indians in a trade. That was an all-cash deal back in 2024. Green didn’t perform the way everyone expected him to. His batting and bowling both disappointed the team badly.
So this time, they learned from that experience clearly. They’re not rushing into any swapping deals now. The focus is on stability rather than experiments.
RCB’s Released Players List
Royal Challengers Bangalore released seven stars before the auction deadline. Swastik Chikara and Mayank Agarwal left the squad this year. Liam Livingstone won’t play for them in IPL 2026 anymore.
Manoj Bhandage got released along with Lungi Ngidi too. Blessing Muzarabani and Mohit Rathee are also out now. These names couldn’t cement their spots in the playing eleven.
RCB’s Retained Players for IPL 2026
Captain Rajat Patidar will lead Royal Challengers Bangalore next season. Star batter Virat Kohli stays with the team obviously. Devdutt Padikkal got retained after his consistent performances last year.
Wicketkeepers Phil Salt and Jitesh Sharma remain with the team. Krunal Pandya will continue as their all-rounder option. Several other champions also made the retained list.
RCB has Rs 16.40 crore left to spend wisely. They need to fill 8 empty slots before IPL 2026. Two of those spots are reserved for overseas stars.
Coach Andy Flower feels happy with these retention decisions. He wants team stability over making too many changes. The auction will happen on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
