They are the defending champions after their historic maiden title triumph last season. The franchise did not have a huge purse to play with at the auction but made it count by acquiring key players that would cover batting depth, seam bowling and allrounder slots. With a set of experienced match-winners and exciting young talent, RCB are looking like one of the most balanced teams for the new season – all set to challenge for glory.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Overview – IPL 2026
| Category | Details |
| Franchise | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| IPL 2025 Finish | Champions |
| Captain | Rajat Patidar |
| Auction Strategy | Focused buys with purse limitation |
| Total Squad Size | 24 Players |
| Overseas Slots Filled | 2–3 |
RCB Full Squad with Price for IPL 2026
| Player | Country | Role | Price (INR) |
| Virat Kohli | India | Batter | ₹21 crore |
| Rajat Patidar | India | Batter | ₹11 crore |
| Devdutt Padikkal | India | Batter | ₹2 crore |
| Tim David | Australia | Batter | ₹3 crore |
| Jitesh Sharma | India | WK | ₹11 crore |
| Philip Salt | England | WK | ₹11.5 crore |
| Krunal Pandya | India | All-Rounder | ₹5.75 crore |
| Romario Shepherd | West Indies | All-Rounder | ₹1.5 crore |
| Jacob Bethell | England | All-Rounder | ₹2.6 crore |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | India | Bowler | ₹10.75 crore |
| Josh Hazlewood | Australia | Bowler | ₹12.5 crore |
| Yash Dayal | India | Bowler | ₹5 crore |
| Suyash Sharma | India | Bowler | ₹2.6 crore |
| Nuwan Thushara | Sri Lanka | Bowler | ₹1.6 crore |
| Rasikh Dar Salam | India | Bowler | ₹6 crore |
| Venkatesh Iyer | India | All-Rounder | ₹7 crore |
| Jacob Duffy | NZ | Bowler | ₹2 crore |
| Mangesh Yadav | India | All-Rounder | ₹5.2 crore |
| Jordan Cox | England | WK/Batter | ₹0.75 crore |
| Satvik Deswal | India | All-Rounder | ₹0.3 crore |
| Vicky Ostwal | India | All-Rounder | ₹0.3 crore |
| Vihaan Malhotra | India | Bowler | ₹0.3 crore |
| Kanishk Chouhan | India | All-Rounder | ₹0.3 crore |
| Abhinandan Singh | India | Bowler | ₹0.3 crore |
RCB Team Strengths for IPL 2026
1) Solid Batting Core
Kohli heads up a strong batting line-up with Patidar and Tim David providing RCB depth down the order. Philip Salt, among players who can hit it out of the park, gives them punchy starts.
2) Improved Bowling Balance
The seamers – Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – added promise to the attack, with a new ball specialist that can also operate in the middle over, an area RCB failed historically.
3) All-Round Options
All-round options like Venkatesh Iyer and Krunal Pandya offer versatility in playing XIs, providing tactical depth with both bat and ball.
4) Youth & Backup Depth
And young talent like Suyash Sharma, Satvik Deswal and Vicky Ostwal provide RCB bench strength – essential over a long IPL season.
Team Challenges
RCB, though, are not without their challenges:
- Purse Limit Restriction: The wallet wasn’t full of money now, the franchise couldn’t go jingling -constraining a team that had to value adds more than stars.
- Dependability of New Recruits: An uncapped or lesser-known auction buy must hold his nerve under pressure in the crunch games.
- Bowling Depth Under Pressure: If the lead bowlers get injured or out of form, those who can support need to step up.
Expectations from IPL 2026
RCB have champion expectations:
- Title Defense Fans and experts expect them to make the playoffs and contend for consecutive championships.
- Dominant Top Order:If we have a robust top order of batters then, they must be setting big totals or chasing targets on a regular basis.
- Bowling: The bowling will be sharper and will not allow free flow of the runs at critical junctures.
- Impact of Leadership: Captain Rajat Patidar will be crucial in making tips and tactics for his teammates.
Should RCB make good use of their blend of experience and youth, they have every chance of defending their title with success.
Conclusion
The template with which Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has formed the squad appears sturdy and astutely knitted. With balance in every department, an explosive batting line up and a bowling unit that finally seems to problem carriers, RCB, are the favourites for the title. Expect some real exciting cricket from the Bangalore boys as they look to be in synch and take performances to another level.


