Having ended their 18-year-long trophy drought, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) enter the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season in unfamiliar territory as defending champions. The Rajat Patidar-led side will be looking to become just the third team to successfully defend the title when they take the field for the season opener on March 28.
RCB have maintained the core of their title-winning squad, with Patidar continuing as captain. Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, Jitesh Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have also all been retained, ensuring the team pick up where they left off.
The franchise also went out and added key reinforcements at the auction, with big-hitting all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer (Rs 7 crore) their most expensive signing, bringing a left-handed dimension to the top and middle order, while also offering a seam-bowling option.
23-year-old Mangesh Yadav (Rs 5.2 crore), a left-arm quick, could be this season's surprise, adding variation to a largely right-arm pace unit.
2025 Form Provides Strong Base
Last year, RCB's title win was underpinned by high-impact individual performances. Kohli finished as the third-highest scorer in the league with 657 runs at an average above 50 and a strike rate of 144.71, and the franchise will be hoping for another inspired season from their talisman.
In the bowling department, Hazlewood finished as the third-highest wicket-taker last season with 22 scalps, turning RCB's death bowling into a strength. Krunal Pandya also enjoyed a great season with 17 wickets, including a match-winning 2/17 in the final.
ALSO READ | IPL 2026: Pathirana Set To Miss Early Matches As Sri Lanka Mandates Fitness Test For NOC
RCB's biggest strength lies in their balanced batting line-up. The Kohli-Salt opening pair offers great starts, while the finishers Tim David and Jitesh Sharma add late-innings firepower. Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal bring some left-handed variety to a right-hand-heavy batting lineup.
However, the pace attack, while strong upfront, lacks proven depth beyond Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Hazlewood continues to recover from an injury that ruled him out of the T20 World Cup, with the Australian set to miss out on the early games.
Any further injury could expose a sharp drop-off in quality. The spin department, too, leans heavily on Krunal's control and Suyash Sharma's variation, without a marquee attacking option.
Defending the title will present a different test with every team looking to make a statement against the reigning champs. However, RCB are approaching this season with a tried and tested core along with strong reinforcements. How effectively that translates onto the field remains to be seen.
RCB Players List IPL 2026
Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt (WK), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jordan Cox (WK).
All-Rounders: Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan.
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: IPL Schedule 2026
The BCCI has released the schedule in phases. Here are the confirmed fixtures for RCB in the opening phase:
1) March 28 - vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Bengaluru (H) - 7:30 PM
2) April 05 - vs Chennai Super Kings - Bengaluru (H) - 7:30 PM
3) April 10 - vs Rajasthan Royals - Guwahati (A) - 7:30 PM
4) April 12 - vs Mumbai Indians - Mumbai (A) - 7:30 PM
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Strongest Playing XI:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (C), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suyash Sharma.
Impact Sub: Devdutt Padikkal
Who is the Captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore for IPL 2026?
Rajat Patidar continues as the captain of RCB for the 2026 season, having led the team to its maiden title in 2025.
Who is the Coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore?
Andy Flower remains the Head Coach for IPL 2026.
Who is the Batting Coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore?
Dinesh Karthik is the Batting Coach and Mentor for the 2026 season.
Who is the Bowling Coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore?
Omkar Salvi is the Bowling Coach for RCB in IPL 2026.
ALSO READ | Audi F1 Team Boss Jonathan Wheatley Departs, Cites 'Personal Reasons' Amid Aston Martin Links
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
