5 RCB players who could be released before IPL 2027

With two successive title wins in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the 2025 and 2026 seasons, the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), face critical decisions regarding their squad selection heading into the IPL 2027 mini-auction. The franchise is expected to release a few underperforming players, but who could they be?

The Rajat Patidar-led side finished the group stage of the IPL 2026 with nine wins in 14 clashes at a net run rate of +0.783. They blew away the Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala during the first qualifier before punching them hard in a 156-run chase in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Bengaluru joined the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to win successive titles in the history of the IPL. They had several successful players in both batting and bowling, including Virat Kohli (675 runs), Patidar (501 runs), Devdutt Padikkal (464 runs), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (28 wickets), Rasikh Salam (19 wickets), and others.

A title-winning squad, tough calls ahead— Which 5 RCB stars could be axed for IPL 2027?

However, ahead of IPL 2027, they have a chance to leave out a few underperformed players in the mini-auction and fill the gap with a few strong players. They can even buy back their released players at a reduced price if they want.

It won’t be an easy call to make for the title-winning side, but the successful franchises always take some tough calls for the development of their future.

Here are the five RCB stars who could be released ahead of the IPL 2027 mini auction-

#1 Suyash Sharma- 9 wickets in IPL 2026-

The leg-spinner of the RCB side, Suyash Sharma, hasn’t performed well in the spin department after joining the franchise in 2025, with just 17 wickets in 26 innings. In this 2026 edition, he went at an expensive economy rate of 9.20 for his nine wickets in 12 innings during the IPL.

Suryansh isn’t a great experienced spinner, having collected 65 wickets in 64 innings at an average of 28.24 and an economy rate of under eight in T20s. RCB can release him in the auction and buy him back at a low price, then INR 2.60 crore.

They may also think of going after another spin option in the mini-auction, who could give Krunal Pandya great support with the ball in the middle overs of the innings.

#2 Romario Shepherd- 83 runs & 7 wickets in IPL 2026-

The West Indies all-rounder, Romario Shepherd, came into the RCB side with lots of expectation. But he hasn’t been able to crack the last two seasons of the league for the franchise.

Shepherd has picked up only 13 wickets in 20 innings of the IPL at an eye-watering economy rate of over 11. Meanwhile, with the bat, he has slammed only 153 runs in 10 innings. Out of this, in 2026, he collected 83 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 125.75 and picked up seven wickets at an economy rate of 11.92.

RCB can easily release the 31-year-old and look out for a few different players during the mini-auction.

#3 Yash Dayal- No games in IPL 2026

The left-arm pacer of the RCB side, Yash Dayal, didn’t feature in a single game for the franchise in IPL 2026. He was forced to sit out of the season due to ongoing personal and legal difficulties. He has been embroiled in legal controversies stemming from the serious allegations of sexual assault, with the courts rejecting his bail in the POCSO case.

Dayal was decent during the IPL 2025 season with 13 wickets in 15 innings at an economy rate of 9.59, including his superb change-up bowling in the death overs. But RCB found a strong replacement in Rasikh Salam in 2026.

They may move on from Dayal ahead of 2027, with the Uttar Pradesh-born having not played any game for about a year. That will also add INR 5 crore in their purse for the auction.

#4 Nuwan Thushara- Out of IPL 2026 due to injury

The Sri Lanka pacer, Nuwan Thushara, came into the RCB side during the IPL 2025 with lots of promise to bowl in the death overs. But he didn’t feature in a single game in 2026 due to his injury. He didn’t even get the NOC from his cricket board after the recovery to join the Bengaluru side.

That could push the franchise to leave the pacer from the IPL 2027 squad ahead of the mini auction and look for other options. Thushara has played only two games for RCB and picked up one wicket in 2025.

#5 Swapnil Singh- No IPL game since 2025

Swapnil Singh featured for the RCB side in IPL 2024, where he played seven games and picked up six wickets at an average of 22.16 and an economy rate of just around nine with a strike rate of 15. But he hasn’t played a single game since then in 2025 and 2026.

It could be a hard decision for the franchise, but they may release the India spinner from the squad and look forward to other options, heading into the IPL 2027 mini auction.

Apart from these players, they may also release Jordan Cox, who also didn’t play a single game for RCB in the IPL 2026. He could have been a fine replacement for Phil Salt, but Venkatesh Iyer’s performance as the opener ruled out that possibility. That may push the management to go ahead and release the England batter ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction.