The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will come to the IPL 2026 auction with a budget of ₹16.40 crore. They will be looking to fill the remaining eight slots, including two overseas player slots. Among the 10 teams, RCB has the fifth-least budget. RCB retained a total of 19 players from their last season’s squad. It included a total of six overseas players, including the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, and Romario Shepherd.
A total of eight players were released by the team. Liam Livingstone was one big names who was released by the franchise. He was bought for ₹8.75 crore during the IPL 2025 auction. Mayanka Agarwal and Blessing Muzarabani, who came in as temporary replacements, were released by the franchise. Tim Seifert and Lungi Ngidi are the other overseas players who have been released by the team. Manoj Bhandage, Swastik Chikara, and Mohit Rathee were the three Indian players who were released.
Mayank and Livingstone were a part of the playing 11 that won the final of IPL 2025 against the Punjab Kings. RCB is one of the few teams that retained its core players. They will look to target players to fill a few gaps in the starting lineup and then target backups.
List Of Players Retained By RCB For IPL 2026:
| Player | Salary |
|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | ₹21 crore |
| Josh Hazlewood | ₹12.5 crore |
| Phil Salt | ₹11.5 crore |
| Rajat Patidar | ₹11 crore |
| Jitesh Sharma | ₹11 crore |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | ₹10.75 crore |
| Rasikh Salam | ₹6 crore |
| Krunal Pandya | ₹5.75 crore |
| Yash Dayal | ₹5 crore |
| Tim David | ₹3 crore |
| Suyash Sharma | ₹2.6 crore |
| Jacob Bethell | ₹2.6 crore |
| Devdutt Padikkal | ₹2 crore |
| Nuwan Thushara | ₹1.6 crore |
| Romario Shepherd | ₹1.5 crore |
| Swapnil Singh | ₹50 lakh |
| Abhinandan Singh | ₹30 lakh |
Remaining purse – ₹16.40 crore (Slots left – 8, overseas slot left – 2)
RCB IPL 2026 Auction Target Players –
Here are the players RCB will be targeting for –
1. Matheesha Pathirana (₹2 crore)
Matheesha Pathirana played 32 matches for the Chennai Super Kings since making his IPL debut in 2022. He took 47 wickets for the five-time champions at an average of 21.61, an economy of 8.68, and a strike rate of 14.9. Pathirana was retained by CSK for ₹13 crore during the mega auction last year.
Pathirana is a death over specialist in the IPL and has taken 33 wickets in death overs at an average of 18.61, an economy of 9.16, and a strike rate of 12.18. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood did the maximum work for RCB in the death overs last season. If RCB manages to pick Pathirana, the team will have one of the best bowling lineups.
2. Venkatesh Iyer (₹2 crore)
Venkatesh Iyer was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders before the auction this year. Iyer was picked by the 2024 champions for a price of ₹23.75 crore, making him the most expensive all-rounder in IPL’s auction history. He didn’t have a great season and managed just 142 runs in 11 matches.
RCB was adamant on signing Iyer last season and fought a bidding war against KKR. They made a bid of ₹23.50 crore for the Indian all-rounder. They might want to pick him this year as well. Iyer can perfectly fit in the middle order.
3. Ravi Bishnoi (₹2 crore)
Ravi Bishnoi is the most experienced Indian spinner who is in the auction pool. He has played a total of 77 matches in the IPL and has taken 72 wickets at an average of 31.06. Bishnoi has played for the Punjab Kings and the Lucknow Super Giants so far. He was retained by LSG for ₹11 crore last season.
RCB has the spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma. Pandya was in the best of his form last season and finished as the joint-second-highest wicket-taker. But RCB’s spin attack does look weak when compared to other teams. Hence, Bishnoi’s inclusion might be a necessary move for the team.
4. Gerald Coetzee (₹2 crore)
Gerald Coetzee has played just 14 matches in IPL so far and has taken 15 wickets at an average of 31.46. In 2024, Coetzee played for the Mumbai Indians and took seven wickets in death overs. He was the second-highest wicket-taker for the team in death overs. In powerplay, he took three wickets.
RCB can look towards Coetzee as a backup for Hazlewood. Hazlewood has been sidelined from the ongoing Ashes due to an injury. His availability during the IPL might be a concern for the defending champions, and they will be at the auction table looking for a like-for-like backup option for the Australian speedster.
5. Akash Madhwal (₹30 lakh)
Akash Madhwal was picked by the Rajasthan Royals last season for ₹1.20 crore. He played four matches for the team and took four wickets at an average of 41.50. In 2023, Akash played for the Mumbai Indians and finished with 14 wickets in eight games.
Akash can be an excellent addition to RCB’s bowling unit and can make it to the playing 11 regularly. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 17 wickets for the team in 14 matches last season, and RCB might be looking to pick a backup for him. Akash might be the perfect candidate for this role.
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