Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have assembled a formidable side ahead of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League, where they will enter with a strong determination to defend their maiden title. They entered the IPL 2026 mini-auction on Tuesday, December 16, with a purse of INR 16.40 crore. During the event, they roped in eight players.
While Venkatesh Iyer was their most expensive buy after he was roped in for INR 7 crore, his place in the playing XI is not guaranteed. On this note, CricTracker has a look at how an ideal playing combination could help the Bengaluru-based franchise increase their chances of being at their best once again when they play in the upcoming season.
RCB predicted playing 11 for IPL 2026 after auction
Top-Order: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal
Phil Salt has been an enforcer at the top of the order in the IPL in the last two seasons. He amassed 403 runs in 13 matches at an average of 33.58 and a strike rate of 175.98. The England wicketkeeper-batter has the potential to win at least 4–5 games single-handedly in the season.
Virat Kohli had a brief phase in the IPL when his consistency with the bat had deserted him. However, he is now back to his best, scoring more than 600 runs in each of the last three seasons. Last year, he averaged 54.75 and batted with a strike rate of 144.71.
Despite Venkatesh Iyer being brought into the setup, Devdutt Padikkal might hold onto his place at No. 3. The latter has been in much better form in the past 12 months in domestic cricket. He has also upgraded his hitting ability, making him someone who can anchor the innings and also shift gears when necessary.
Middle-Order: Rajat Patidar (C), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (WK)
Rajat Patidar has been a brilliant leader for RCB. He has not only captained the team well, but also contributed with the bat. The right-handed batter is equally good against spinners as well as pacers, making him a tough batter to contain when in full flow.
Tim David is really a cheat code for RCB, as he wins them games out of nowhere. He has improved his game against spin of late, and when he gets going, even the best bowlers in world cricket look pedestrian. Last season, he averaged 62.33 and had a strike rate of 185.15.
Jitesh Sharma will be high on confidence after making his way back into the Indian T20 team. He played some fine knocks down the order for RCB last season. He has all the shots in the book and can up the scoring rate in no time.
All-Rounders: Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya
Who can forget Romario Shepherd‘s mind-boggling half-century against Chennai Super Kings last season? The Caribbean all-rounder is a brute force with the bat and can contribute at least a couple of overs with the ball. He didn’t get to play too many games last season, but he should be a regular feature in RCB’s playing XI in IPL 2026.
Krunal Pandya had been faring decently in the last few seasons, but in IPL 2025, he had an outing to remember. He became a genuine wicket-taker for RCB through the middle overs, and his contributions with the bat at various stages of the tournament proved to be invaluable. The Baroda spinner was the Player of the Match in the first as well as the final match of the 2025 season for RCB, proving his impact with the ball.
Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Bhuvneshwar Kumar doesn’t have the same pace or accuracy as he used to during his days in the Indian team. However, he uses his experience to compensate. Alongside Hazlewood, the right-arm seamer forms a fantastic combination.
Josh Hazlewood was arguably the best bowler on show in IPL 2026. He took wickets not just in the powerplay, but also towards the back end of the innings. The Australian seamer finished with 22 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 17.55, being one of the biggest reasons behind RCB’s title win.
Yash Dayal complemented Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood to a tee. He bowled the difficult overs and came up trumps more often than not. The left-arm seamer picked up 13 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 36.15.
RCB Predicted Playing XI for IPL 2026
Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Player: Suyash Sharma
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