IMAGE: Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted their maiden IPL title in 2025. Photograph: BCCI

Key Points

• Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB have retained their core, with Virat Kohli continuing as the team's talisman.
• Explosive opening pair of Virat Kohli and Phil Salt key to strong starts, though Salt's recent form is a concern.
• Middle-order strength with Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma and Tim David provides depth and finishing power.
• All-round depth boosted by players like Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter IPL 2026 with a rare mix of stability and expectation after finally breaking their title drought in 2025.

What is rarer still is that they are going into this season as title defenders after Rajat Patidar led them to the title last season after 18-year wait.

The franchise has retained the core that won the title while veteran Virat Kohli remains the team's talisman.

RCB have a good mix of youth and experience and with the elusive title finally in the bag, they will head in to the season brimming with confidence.

There is middle-order depth with Captain Patidar, Wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma and Tim David to name a few.

On paper, the squad has depth with multi-skill all-rounders and a strong pace attack. RCB's core Indian stars add an edge to the team, especially in batting and pace, lending the squad some good balance.

Aggressive Top-Order Batting

IMAGE: Virat Kohli and Phil Salt will look to give RCB some big starts this IPL. Photograph: RCB/X

The ever consistent Kohli will continue to guide his team-mates while doing the job for his team, finding the ropes and beyond at the top of the order. His leadership acumen will be a massive asset to Patidar.

Intent is never a question with Kohli who knows how and when to shift gears. Having scored 657 runs in each of his last three seasons, the former RCB captain will likely keep the scorekeepers busy and fans asking for more in IPL 2026.

RCB's first-choice opener along with Kohli will again be Phil Salt.

The Englishman was instrumental in RCB's trophy run last season, but has endured a lean run of late.

The explosive right-hander had dazzled with 403 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate touching 176, including four fifties, setting the tone at the top.

But at the T20 World Cup he was pale shadow of himself, scoring just 130 runs in eight innings at an average of 16.25, with a strike rate of 158.53 and a solitary fifty.

With Salt struggling for rhythm, RCB could be forced into a rethink at the top, weighing up options like Bethell or wicket-keeper-batter Jordan Cox to partner Virat in the opening slot.

Can Padikkal bring red-ball form into IPL?

IMAGE: Devdutt Padikkal scored 247 runs in 10 matches in IPL 2025. Photograph: BCCI

RCB's trusted No 3 Devdutt Padikkal comes into the League with a truckload of runs behind him.

It was a domestic season to savour for Karnataka's elegant left-hander, who piled on 543 runs in six matches (10 innings) at a healthy average of 60.33 in the Ranji Trophy. His tally was studded with two centuries and a fifty, playing a key role in Karnataka's runners-up finish. A marathon 232 off 330 balls against Uttarakhand in the semi-final underlined both his patience and appetite for big runs.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy brought out his ruthless streak. In the premier 50-over competition, he finished as the second-highest run-getter, amassing 725 runs in nine innings at a staggering average of 90.62.

Four centuries and two fifties told the story of a batsman in complete command, his fluent strokeplay and remarkable consistency driving Karnataka's march to the semifinals.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy saw him switch gears with ease. In the T20 tournament, he hammered 309 runs in six innings, averaging 61.80 at a strike rate of 167.02, with a century and two fifties to his name.

Skipper Patidar to anchor middle-order

IMAGE: Rajat Patidar is known to fancy his arm against spinners, often dispatching them for maximums. Photograph: RCB/X

Captain Rajat Patidar's role will be that of a middle-order anchor. His monstrous sixes against spinners are a treat to behold but there will be a slight concern as he heads into the IPL short on runs and perhaps a touch low on rhythm.

In the Ranji Trophy, he managed 266 runs in seven innings, with the bulk coming from a lone 205 against Punjab a lone knock that stood in stark contrast to his otherwise modest returns.

The struggles continued in the white-ball formats. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 113 runs in seven innings at an average of 16.14, while striking at 136.14, and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he could muster just 67 runs in two outings. For a batter of such class and elegance, it has been a surprisingly quiet phase.

As captain, the onus will be on Patidar to rediscover his touch quickly as RCB will need their skipper to lead from the front and anchor the batting with meaningful contributions.

New recruit Venky Iyer ready to create magic

IMAGE: Venkatesh Iyer will be keen to make an immediate impact at RCB. Photograph: RCB/X

Released by Kolkata Knight Riders before the IPL mini-auction in December, RCB got their man in Venkatesh Iyer. But he will have to somehow claw his way into the first team.

With a batting order that reads Kohli, Salt, Jacob Bethell, Patidar, Padikkal, Venky may warm the bench early in the tournament. His batting prowess is well-documented in IPL lore, but here is a fact few know -- in the Madhya Pradesh League last year, playing for Indore Pink Panthers, Venkatesh picked two wickets and defended 19 runs in the final over to help his team win by 6 runs.

In the 2025-2026 domestic season, Venkatesh scored 211 runs at a strike rate over 119 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This will hold him in good stead ahead of IPL 2026.

A Chockful of All-Rounders

IMAGE: Jacob Bethell is expected to go hammer and tongs this IPL. Photograph: Reuters

RCB have no shortage of options, with a deep pool of all-rounders giving them enviable flexibility across conditions. Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Vicky Otswal, Swapnil Singh, Kanishk Chauhan and Vihaan Malhotra bolster the spin-bowling ranks, while Romario Shepherd, Venkatesh Iyer and left-arm seamer Mangesh Yadav provide pace-bowling alternatives.

The mix offers a blend of international pedigree, proven domestic performers and emerging young talent, leaving the team with both depth and balance as they fine-tune combinations through the campaign.

Touted as one of England's brightest young prospects, Bethell has begun to show he can deliver when it matters most, a trait RCB could lean on heavily as they look to mount a serious title push.

Last season, Bethell played just 2 matches but smacked 67 runs at a strike rate of 171.79.

The 22-year-old English all-rounder is knocking hard on the door for a place in the XI after a breakout T20 World Cup that turned heads. Bethell finished as England's leading run-scorer in their run to the semifinals, compiling 280 runs in eight innings, highlighted by a blistering 105 off 48 balls against India in the last four, along with a half-century.

Considering the goings on at RCB's training ahead of the season, Bethell, it is learnt is expected to open the batting with Kohli, to play a right-left combination at the top.

Attacking Finishers

IMAGE: Wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma played a match-winning knock of 85 off 33 balls in the Qualifier 1 against Lucknow Super Giants last IPL. Photograph: BCCI

Jitesh Sharma will once again be central to RCB's plans at the death. A batter who thrives on intent, he backs his instincts and mixes power with a touch of finesse when the situation demands.

In RCB's title-winning run last season, he smashed 261 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 176.35, underlining his value as a finisher. The standout -- an unbeaten 85 in the IPL Qualifier 1 against Lucknow Super Giants to book a place in the final showcased his ability to deliver on the big stage.

Behind the stumps too, he was sharp, accounting for 19 catches and a stumping in a breakthrough season. Expect him to unleash more of those big hits in IPL 2026.

Krunal Pandya remains one of the most dependable all-rounders in the side -- a cricketer who quietly goes about his job with remarkable consistency.

With the bat, he provides late-order aggression, capable of shifting gears in a matter of deliveries. With the ball, he is as economical as they come, adept at tightening the screws in the middle overs while chipping in with key breakthroughs.

His best figures of 4 for 45 against Mumbai Indians last season highlighted his ability to make an impact when it matters.

Tim David will be keen to build on what was a promising campaign last season. The big-hitting Australian, who notched up his maiden IPL fifty, has the ability to turn a game on its head in a matter of balls.

His power and presence in the closing overs make him a vital cog in RCB's finishing unit, and he will be expected to raise the bar further this season.

IMAGE: Romario Shepherd equalled the record for the second-fastest fifty in IPL history, reaching the milestone from just 14 balls, against Chennai Super Kings on May 3, 2025. Photograph: BCCI

Romario Shepherd proved to be a smart addition last season and will look to carry that momentum forward. In eight matches, he picked up six wickets, with best figures of 2/14, while also adding muscle to the lower order.

His stunning 14-ball fifty against CSK -- the fastest of the 2025 season and joint second-fastest in IPL history -- was a reminder of his explosive ability. Finishing with a staggering strike rate of 291.67, Shepherd brings the kind of firepower that can tilt matches in an instant.

Reliable pace attack

IMAGE: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is closing in on a milestone. Photograph: BCCI

Josh Hazlewood, the star Australian pacer, could miss the early stages of the IPL after missing out on the Ashes series and the T20 World Cup in its entirety.

With 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.54 last season, Hazlewood was integral to their success, and his availability remains a big concern.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had built a wonderful partnership with Hazlewood last season. But the swing king will have to shoulder the responsibilty and lead the pace attack in the early part of the season.

The 36 year old is at the cusp of making history in the IPL -- he is 2 wickets short of the 200-wicket milestone. He can strike in the Powerplay and is equally adept to taking a few scalps in the middle overs and dry the runs.

He has 85 wickets in the Powerplay overs at an economy of 6.7, a testamony of his class.

Duffy to replace Hazlewood?

IMAGE: Jacob Duffy had an unflattering outing at the T20 World Cup and will want to make up for it in the IPL. Photograph: RCB Fans/X

When the hammer struck, and New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy was announced as an RCB player at Rs 2 crore, it was termed as a 'steal buy' as he ended the year with 81 international scalps, the highest in a calendar year by a New Zealander and the highest in 2025.

But this year has seen him take just nine scalps in 10 matches at an average of 39.11 and an economy rate of 10.77. His T20WC figures were: three wickets in five innings at an average of 54.33.

These figures make for painful reading, and if Duffy plays as a replacement for Hazlewood in case the Aussie pacer is ruled out, he will have very little time to get his bowling back on track. And undoubtedly, Duffy would not like being the pace spearhead who leaks runs.

RCB bolstered their pace-bowling bench with the purchase of MP pacer Mangesh Yadav.

Playing for Gwalior Cheetahs, Mangesh, a left-arm pacer with a sharp yorker, emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the MP T20 League, finishing with 14 scalps in 21 overs from 6 innings.

He can bowl in the death and the Powerplay overs with effect and is a handy bat down the order. Fielding is another USP of this 24 year old.

Two other uncapped Indian bowlers, Abhinandan Singh, who bowled beautifully in the intra-squad matches, and young quick Rasikh Dar will be vying for the second seamer's role, having showcased his death-bowling skills in the IPL.

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Thin spin depth

IMAGE: Krunal Pandya was one of RCB's top performers last season. Photograph: BCCI

RCB lack elite frontline spinner.

With only Krunal Pandya and leggie Suyash Sharma, who was a consistent wicket-taker last season, this could be one area where RCB could prove vulnerable.

If their bowling stays fit and the middle order clicks consistently, RCB have the squad to build a mini-dynasty rather than just defend a title.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru full squad for IPL 2026: Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Nuwan Thushara, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Dar, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Vihaan Malhotra, Jordan Cox, Venkatesh Iyer, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Kanishk Chouhan, Jacob Duffy.