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Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad 2026: Full Player List, Captain & Team Profile

Royal Challengers Bengaluru return to IPL 2026 with renewed purpose under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, a technically sound middle-order batter who has steadily grown into a leadership role. With head coach Andy Flower at the helm, RCB have put together a squad that balances proven international experience with exciting domestic talent. The retention of Virat Kohli continues to draw enormous attention to the franchise, and his presence alone raises expectations across the cricketing world.

The squad shows clear thought in its construction. RCB have depth in all three departments, featuring quality pacers like Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, an all-round core anchored by Krunal Pandya and Venkatesh Iyer, and specialist batters who can adapt to any situation. The team plays its home games at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, a venue known for its electric crowd and batting-friendly surface.

With a settled leadership group and a well-rounded 25-man roster, RCB will be among the sides to watch closely this season. For live updates and coverage of every RCB fixture, follow the IPL 2026 Live Score for today match IPL action throughout the tournament.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2026 Upcoming Matches

RCB have a busy schedule in the opening phase of IPL 2026, featuring high-profile clashes against top sides. Below are the confirmed fixtures involving Royal Challengers Bengaluru and other IPL 2026 matches across the league stage.

Additional IPL 2026 fixtures across the league:

Stay updated on every IPL match today 2026 with live scores and commentary at IPL 2026 Live Score.

Quick Facts: Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026

For the complete roster details, visit Royal Challengers Bengaluru Players.

Squad Breakdown

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have assembled a 25-player squad that covers all bases. The batting lineup is deep and experienced, the wicket-keeping options provide flexibility at the top and middle of the order, the all-rounders add crucial balance, and the bowling attack has the variety to handle all conditions. Here is a role-by-role breakdown of the full RCB squad for IPL 2026.

Batters

• Rajat Patidar — Right-handed middle-order batter and team captain; known for his aggressive strokeplay and big-match temperament.
• Virat Kohli — Legendary right-handed opener and anchor batter; the cornerstone of RCB’s batting lineup across every season.
• Devdutt Padikkal — Elegant left-handed opener who builds innings with timing and placement rather than brute force.
• Tim David — Explosive right-handed finisher from Singapore; one of the most destructive batters in the death overs across global T20 cricket.

Wicket-Keepers (WK-Batter)

• Phil Salt — Aggressive English right-handed opener and wicket-keeper; provides explosive starts at the top of the order.
• Jitesh Sharma — Dynamic right-handed wicket-keeper batter with a reputation for clean hitting in the middle and lower order.
• Jordan Cox — Young English wicket-keeper batter who brings energy and adaptability behind the stumps and at the crease.

All-Rounders

• Krunal Pandya — Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder who is a reliable middle-order contributor and key partnership breaker.
• Venkatesh Iyer — Powerful left-handed batting all-rounder capable of scoring at a high strike rate and bowling useful medium pace.
• Romario Shepherd — Hard-hitting West Indian all-rounder who bowls sharp medium pace and clears the boundary with ease.
• Jacob Bethell — Versatile young English all-rounder who can open or bat in the middle order and bowls tidy left-arm spin.
• Swapnil Singh — Domestic all-rounder who provides spin options and contributes usefully with the bat in the lower order.
• Satvik Deswal — Emerging Indian all-rounder adding depth to the squad with both bat and ball.
• Mangesh Yadav — Right-arm all-rounder from domestic cricket who contributes with seam-up bowling and lower-order hitting.
• Vicky Ostwal — Left-arm finger spinner who also contributes with the bat; a promising young addition to RCB’s spin department.
• Vihaan Malhotra — Young all-rounder selected for his potential with both bat and ball at the domestic level.
• Kanishk Chouhan — Uncapped domestic all-rounder providing squad depth and cover in multiple departments.

Bowlers

• Josh Hazlewood — World-class Australian right-arm fast bowler renowned for his accuracy with the new ball and death-over control.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar — Experienced Indian swing bowler and one of the finest exponents of seam movement in T20 cricket.
• Yash Dayal — Left-arm pace bowler from Uttar Pradesh who has shown consistent improvement in IPL conditions.
• Nuwan Thushara — Sri Lankan right-arm pacer who brings pace and aggression to RCB’s bowling attack.
• Suyash Sharma — Young right-arm leg-spin bowler with sharp turn and the ability to deceive batters in the middle overs.
• Rasikh Dar Salam — Jammu and Kashmir pacer who can bowl at genuine pace and trouble top-order batters.
• Abhinandan Singh — Domestic pace bowler selected for his promise and ability to operate in pressure situations.
• Jacob Duffy — New Zealand right-arm seam bowler who provides international experience and reliable control with the ball.

Home Stadium: The Fortress

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is one of the most celebrated cricket grounds in India and one of the most challenging venues for visiting bowlers in the IPL. Situated in the heart of the city, the ground has a relatively small boundary and a surface that traditionally favours batters, particularly in the first innings. The ball tends to come onto the bat well under the floodlights, and the combination of pace-friendly conditions early in the innings and turn for spinners in the middle overs makes it a tactically interesting ground for both sides. RCB’s batting-heavy squad is designed to exploit these conditions to the fullest.

The atmosphere at Chinnaswamy on match nights is unlike anything else in Indian cricket. The stadium fills rapidly and the crowd remains vociferous throughout, generating an intensity that can unsettle the most experienced opposition. For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, playing at home has historically been a significant advantage, with the crowd firmly behind every boundary and every wicket. Rajat Patidar and his team will be looking to convert that passionate support into wins in IPL 2026, using the familiarity of conditions and the energy of the stands as genuine weapons across their home fixtures.

Season Outlook

Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter IPL 2026 as a side with genuine title ambitions. The squad is balanced, experienced in key positions, and guided by a shrewd coaching staff under Andy Flower, who brings a disciplined, structured approach to team preparation. The presence of Virat Kohli at the top of the order remains the defining factor in RCB’s batting plans, but the depth around him — Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Phil Salt, and a strong all-round core — means the team is far less dependent on any single player than in previous seasons.

The bowling attack looks significantly stronger with Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the pace department, supported by Yash Dayal and international options like Nuwan Thushara and Jacob Duffy. Suyash Sharma adds a productive spin dimension. If RCB can manage their playing combinations well and avoid injuries, they have the resources to go deep into the tournament. The squad’s blend of youth and experience is a clear strength, and with home games at Chinnaswamy providing early momentum, a playoff finish looks very achievable. A maiden IPL title remains the ultimate goal for a franchise with one of the most loyal fanbases in the country.