Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the reigning IPL champions, have announced their complete roster for IPL 2026. Following their first IPL trophy in 2025, RCB goes into the new season with confidence. RCB retained their core group of players as well as their senior star Virat Kohli & captain Rajat Patidar. They also have built good depth in batting, bowling and all-rounders.

RCB has released some big names in Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone and Lungi Ngidi. Livingstone was the most talked-about name because he was bought for ₹8.75 crore but scored only 112 runs and took just two wickets in 10 matches in IPL 2025. Due to his poor performance, the franchise decided to let him go.

Even though Livingstone is gone, RCB still have strong middle-order players. Tim David is in great form, Jitesh Sharma adds power-hitting, Romario Shepherd is a useful all-rounder, and Jacob Bethell is a rising young talent. They also have Krunal Pandya, who brings experience. Another important retention is Rasikh Dar Salam. He played only two matches last season and took one wicket but RCB still kept him for future plans.

RCB Retentions, Releases and Squad Update for IPL 2026

RCB have kept a strong core of batters, bowlers and all-rounders, which gives them stability for the next season. They released a few names to make way for the new signings in the mini-auction. With the mix of senior experienced players and young talent, RCB looks ready for the title defense.

The team enters the IPL 2026 mini-auction with ₹16.4 crore still available in their purse. This gives them enough money to buy one or two more important players if needed.

See Also: Rajasthan Royals retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

RCB Retained Players for IPL 2026

RCB have retained Rajat Patidar as captain, along with Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh and Suyash Sharma.

RCB Released Players for IPL 2026

The players released by RCB are Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi and Mohit Rathee.

RCB Remaining Purse for IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with ₹16.4 crore remaining in their purse.