RCB at IPL 2026 Auction: All You Need To Know — RCB Targets, RCB Squad, Remaining Purse, Auction Picks & Strategy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have one of the most settled squads ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. They released only six players and will enter the auction with a budget of INR 16.40 crore. The RCB target players 2026 will mostly be for backup roles.
They can afford to settle for middling options for most slots since the squad is already formidable. The defending champions were smart with their releases and ensured getting a decent purse to target specific players, as they did in the mega auction. Since several other teams have a significant purse, they must be smart with their picks as they fill the squad.
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RCB Squad For IPL 2026: Full Royal Challengers Bengaluru Players List (Updated)
The full RCB squad will be updated after the auction’s conclusion.
RCB Retained Players Ahead Of IPL 2026 Auction
- Virat Kohli
- Rajat Patidar
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Tim David✈️
- Krunal Pandya
- Jitesh Sharma
- Phil Salt✈️
- Josh Hazlewood✈️
- Yash Dayal
- Suyash Sharma
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Jacob Bethell✈️
- Romario Shepherd✈️
- Nuwan Thushara
- Swapnil Singh
- Abhinandan Singh
- Rasikh Salam Dar
RCB Released Players Ahead Of IPL 2026 Auction
- Liam Livingstone
- Lungi Ngidi
- Tim Seifert
- Mohit Rathee
- Manoj Bhandage
- Mayank Agarwal
- Swastik Chikara
- Blessing Muzarbani
Their biggest release was Liam Livingstone, who was underwhelming with both bat and ball in IPL 2025. His absence leaves a void in the squad. They will also require a few pacers in the squad and another solid middle-order batter.
RCB Remaining Purse And Slots For IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Purse: INR 16.40 crore
- Slots: 8 (2 overseas)
What Royal Challengers Bengaluru Need At The Auction
The RCB targets at IPL 2026 auction could include –
- A backup overseas pacer for Josh Hazlewood
- A spin bowling all-rounder, preferably an off-spinner.
- A couple of Indian middle-order batters
RCB Target Players For IPL 2026 Auction
Here you can check out the potential areas to address for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the RCB target players 2026.
RCB look to find Josh Hazlewood’s backup
There are multiple reasons to find Josh Hazlewood’s backups, as Lungi Ngidi is released (READ MORE).
Liam Livingstone’s alternative
Liam Livingstone was one of their top buys, but they released him after his poor performances. They need a replacement, even though it is not a priority (READ MORE).
More middle-order batters
After releasing Swastik Chikara and Manoj Bhandage, the defending champions would like a couple of Indian batters to fill the squad (READ MORE).
RCB Auction Picks 2026 (Live Updated)
The RCB auction picks are to be updated on auction day (December 16).
Predicted RCB Playing XI For IPL 2026
- Phil Salt ✈️
- Virat Kohli
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Jitesh Sharma (wk)
- Tim David ✈️
- Romario Shepherd ✈️
- Krunal Pandya
- Yash Dayal
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Josh Hazlewood ✈️
- Suyash Sharma (IP)
RCB Auction Strategy: Key Takeaways
The 2025 winners don’t need to change too many things. They already have a settled XI, and the RCB auction 2026 strategy will mostly revolve around finding backups to play in unavailability. They have a decent budget to find suitable players.
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