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RCB Retention List Before IPL 2026 Auction: Likely List Of Players Royal Challengers Bengaluru Will Retain

Disha Asrani

Last updated: July 6, 2025

5 min read

RCB won the IPL 2025 on June 3 in Ahmedabad after beating Punjab Kings in the Final.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) played a dream season this year. It’s been only a month since the red and gold outfit lifted their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy after 17 years of long wait. Looking ahead, head coach Andy Flower would look to keep the core intact. He’d look to make minimal changes going into the IPL 2026 auction later this year.

RCB won nine out of their 14 games during the league stage. They lost four matches, and one home game was washed out due to rain. Out of the nine wins, as many as eight different players bagged the Player of the Match awards. It only means how strong the RCB unit was this year, with each player showcasing their unique strengths to help the team over the line. Thus, the management is likely to make fewer changes ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Here, we take a look at the likely RCB retention list, players who could be released, and their potential targets in the next auction.

RCB Retention List For IPL 2026 Auction

RCB will look to retain its core, which mainly includes their top-order batters. However, RCB would look at a couple of overseas all-rounder options and Indian spinners. Here’s a look at the likely RCB retention list.

Which Players Could Be Retained By RCB?

RCB will look to keep their batting order intact as the team breached the 200-run mark four times. Here are potential names they are likely to retain:

Virat Kohli – the franchise will continue their unwavering loyalty
Rajat Patidar – title-winning captain to lead for another season
Jitesh Sharma – the wicketkeeper-batter can finish with match-winning runs
Josh Hazlewood – game-changing pacer
Krunal Pandya – all-rounder who can bowl economical spells and strengthen middle order
Devdutt Padikkal – the future of RCB
Tim David – finish matches in an entertaining way
Phil Salt – enforcer at the top

Final Likely players to be retained by RCB

Rajat Patidar
Virat Kohli
Phil Salt
Devdutt Padikkal
Tim David
Jitesh Sharma
Swastik Chikara
Jacob Bethell
Krunal Pandya
Manoj Bhandage
Romario Shepherd
Josh Hazlewood
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Suyash Sharma
Yash Dayal
Mayank Agarwal

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RCB Released Players List Ahead Of IPL 2026

RCB would let go of some of their underperformers and the ones who weren’t often picked for the playing XI during IPL 2025 matches. This will free up their purse for better buys in the IPL 2026 auction. Here’s a look at the expected RCB released players list.

Which Players Could Be Released By RCB?

These are the players with the most underwhelming performances for Bengaluru. They may find themselves in the IPL auction pool soon.

Liam Livingstone – out of form, leading to low-impact
Lungi Ngidi – inconsistent
Mohit Rathee – did not fit in the Playing XI

Likely Full RCB Released Players List

Liam Livingstone
Lungi Ngidi
Tim Seifert
Mohit Rathee
Abhinandan Singh
Rasikh Salam
Swapnil Singh
Nuwan Thushara

Likely RCB Squad Ahead Of IPL 2026 Auction

Here’s a look at how the Royal Challengers will shape up after the likely retentions and releases:

Category: Retained
Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Swastik Chikara, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Manoj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mayank Agarwal.

Category: Released
Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Tim Seifert, Mohit Rathee, Abhinandan Singh, Rasikh Salam, Swapnil Singh, Nuwan Thushara.

Captaincy Status
Rajat Patidar will continue leading the IPL 2025 winning team.

What To Expect From RCB At The IPL 2026 Auction?

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to strengthen their bowling attack and add some all-round options too. They will likely target this category of players.

All-rounders for the lower-middle order
Indian and overseas pacers
An extra spin option who can bat in the tail-end

Potential Key Targets For RCB at IPL 2026 Auction

Matt Henry (auction)
A new-ball specialist who can bowl economically at the high-scoring home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Michael Bracewell (auction)
Another option from New Zealand is the experienced off-spinner who can also do well with the bat.

Cameron Green (auction)
A good fit in the RCB’s lower-middle order alongside Tim David.

Ravichandran Ashwin (shock-trade)
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowler was off-colour in the past season, but he could do well for RCB. CSK may be interested in the likes of Liam Livingstone, Swapnil Singh, and Rasikh Salam.

Venkatesh Iyer (shock-trade)
Although unlikely for the Royal Challengers, if the franchise releases Phil Salt, they can acquire Venkatesh Iyer. However, to complete the expensive deal, they may also need to release Liam Livingstone.