RCB strongest playing XI for IPL 2026: Dream team for Virat Kohli & co but will Venkatesh Iyer find place?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru had pretty much very little work to do in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) auction, having purchased just 8 players. The IPL 2025 champions had the near-perfect team already and just needed to do a little extra shopping in order to strengthen their squad. From batting to bowling to fielding, RCB managed to strike the perfect balance in the previous season and are not expected to make much changes to their line-up, barring maybe just a change or two in dire situations. Ahead of IPL 2026, let’s take a look at what could be RCB’s strongest playing XI.

RCB strongest XI for IPL 2026

RCB will surely not tamper with the top-order comprising of Salt and Kohli. After all, the duo were sensational in IPL 2025 and were majorly responsible for providing the side with good starts. RCB’s new Rs 6 crore buy – Venkatesh Iyer, a player whom the side has chased over the last two years – could potentially be slotted at number 3. However, he faces stiff competition from Padikkal for that spot, since the Karnataka batter is very well versed with his responsibility at that position. RCB will surely prefer Padikkal over Iyer, but the former is bound to get some games during IPL 2026.

The rest of RCB’s middle-order, lower-order and the bowling line-up will stay as is from IPL 2025. Impact player options include Suyash Sharma, new buy Mangesh Yadav apart from a host of other new bowlers the team has purchased in the IPL 2026 auction.

RCB full squad for IPL 2026

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Otswal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan

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