They already boast of a superb trio of finishers.
When Jitesh Sharma said that if Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) win an Indian Premier League (IPL) title, they can go on to win five on the trot, he perhaps had a point. RCB dominated the IPL 2025 season to clinch their maiden title by beating Punjab Kings in the final.
Under the leadership of head coach Andy Flower, they had covered most of the bases. They can retain the same squad for two more seasons, and that means they can only get better. With the IPL 2026 auction approaching fast, RCB will have an opportunity to strengthen their squad further. One aspect they can get stronger in is finishing.
For years, RCB had a top-heavy batting unit that revolved around Virat Kohli. With the exception of Dinesh Karthik in the 2022 and 2024 editions, the lower-middle order was one of their biggest issues.
It all changed in 2025 as they brought in the likes of Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Romario Shepherd, and Liam Livingstone. David and Shepherd were part of the Mumbai Indians squad in the earlier edition but weren’t as effective as they were at RCB.
David played a key role in their triumph, blasting 187 runs at a strike rate of 185 while averaging 62. The runs tally might not be too impressive, but his short cameos at the back end gave RCB the finishing touch they needed more often than not.
Jitesh was also excellent, scoring 261 runs in the season at an average of 37 while striking at 176. Shepherd batted in only three innings but hammered 70 runs in just 24 deliveries.
As a result of these three batters firing, RCB had the second-best run-rate in death overs in the season. They struck at a run-rate of 11.71 in overs 17-20, only behind the other finalists.
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When we talk about the best finishing teams in IPL history, we naturally go back to the Mumbai Indians’ back-to-back title triumphs in 2019-20 and the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 2024 season.
Mumbai Indians had Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya together for several years, but the pair was at its peak in those two seasons. KKR had a trio of Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh in their 2024 triumph. RCB have a chance to build a unit that can be better than those two teams.
In David, Jitesh, and Shepherd, they already have three guys who are outstanding at hitting from ball one. Livingstone had a poor season in 2025, but he stepped up in the final with a crucial cameo of 25 off 14. He is among the cleanest strikers in the world and has a high upside. RCB would be wise not to release him.
In the IPL 2026 auction, the franchise can bring in new lower-middle options to allow more flexibility to their playing XI. Someone like Sikandar Raza could fit in well due to his all-round skill set. He has made over 800 runs in T20 cricket this year at an average of 28 while striking at 139.
They could also go for R Rajkumar, who had a terrific Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2025 season. The 31-year-old all-rounder scored 200 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 198. If Chennai Super Kings (CSK) release Vansh Bedi, he would be a great option in RCB’s lower-middle order. In the Delhi Premier League, Bedi struck at 187.
If the RCB management plays smart in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, they can build a formidable finishing unit for the next couple of years.
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