The IPL 2025 season will always be special for Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they finally lifted their first title by beating Punjab Kings in the final. It took them 18 years to get their hands on the trophy. Rajat Patidar led from the front as captain, while Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma and Phil Salt all played major roles. RCB maintained high standards all season and, at last, ended their search for an IPL crown.
RCB looked especially solid on the road in IPL 2025 and appeared well-balanced in every department. As defending champions, theyhead into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with ₹16.4 crore left in the purse and eight slots to fill. With no trades made beforehand, it is clear the management has strong faith in the core group heading into the new season.
At the IPL 2026 auction, RCB further bolstered their squad with some smart buys. They brought in Venkatesh Iyer for ₹7 crore, Jacob Duffy for ₹2 crore and Mangesh Yadav for ₹5.20 crore. They also added youngsters Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra and Kanishk Couhan for ₹30 lakh each, while England wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox was picked up for ₹75 lakh.
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2016 – Virat Kohli’s Historic Season to Remember
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been part of the IPL since the very first season. In 2008, they played the opening match of the league against KKR, where Brendon McCullum scored a famous 158. RCB bounced back well in the next season and reached the final in 2009 but lost to Deccan Chargers. They again reached the final in 2011 under Daniel Vettori but finished as runners-up to Chennai Super Kings.
For RCB fans, 2016 is a season they will never forget. Virat Kohli produced a dream run, smashing 973 runs and leading the side all the way to the final. RCB couldn’t finish the job and lost the title clash, but Kohli’s incredible form is still remembered with pride. In the years that followed, the team struggled to find the same level of consistency.
Since 2020, RCB have shown better consistency and have reached the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. The big moment finally came in 2025 when Rajat Patidar led the team to their first-ever IPL title. Now, as defending champions, RCB will look to continue their strong run in the upcoming season.
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RCB Retained / Traded Players (IPL 2026)
| No. | Player | Role | Status | Price (₹ Cr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | Batter | Retained | 21.00 |
| 2 | Josh Hazlewood | Fast bowler | Retained | 12.50 |
| 3 | Phil Salt | Batter | Retained | 11.50 |
| 4 | Rajat Patidar | Batter | Retained | 11.00 |
| 5 | Jitesh Sharma | Batter | Retained | 11.00 |
| 6 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Fast bowler | Retained | 10.75 |
| 7 | Rasikh Salam | Fast bowler | Retained | 6.00 |
| 8 | Krunal Pandya | All-rounder | Retained | 5.75 |
| 9 | Yash Dayal | Fast bowler | Retained | 5.00 |
| 10 | Tim David | All-rounder | Retained | 3.00 |
| 11 | Suyash Sharma | Bowler | Retained | 2.60 |
| 12 | Jacob Bethell | All-rounder | Retained | 2.60 |
| 13 | Devdutt Padikkal | Batter | Retained | 2.00 |
| 14 | Nuwan Thushara | Fast bowler | Retained | 1.60 |
| 15 | Romario Shepherd | All-rounder | Retained | 1.50 |
| 16 | Swapnil Singh | All-rounder | Retained | 0.50 |
| 17 | Abhinandan Singh | Fast bowler | Retained | 0.30 |
RCB Auction Buys (IPL 2026 Mini Auction)
| No. | Player | Role | Status | Price (₹ Cr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venkatesh Iyer | All-rounder | Bought | 7.00 |
| 2 | Mangesh Yadav | All-rounder | Bought | 5.20 |
| 3 | Jacob Duffy | Fast bowler | Bought | 2.00 |
| 4 | Jordan Cox | Batter | Bought | 0.75 |
| 5 | Satvik Deswal | All-rounder | Bought | 0.30 |
| 6 | Kanishk Chouhan | All-rounder | Bought | 0.30 |
| 7 | Vihaan Malhotra | All-rounder | Bought | 0.30 |
| 8 | Vicky Ostwal | All-rounder | Bought | 0.30 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad for IPL 2026
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Yash Dayal, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Jacob Duffy, Jordan Cox, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, Vicky Ostwal, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Possible Playing XI
Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Impact Player: Suyash Sharma
Final Squad Size, Slots & Remaining Purse
- Total squad size: 25 players (17 retained + 8 bought).
- Overseas players: 8 (Salt, Tim David, Shepherd, Bethell, Hazlewood, Thushara, Duffy, Cox).
- Slots strength: All 25 slots filled (0 slots remaining)..
- Remaining purse: ₹0.25Cr.
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Code: TOPBK
