RCB's predicted XI for IPL 2026: Devdutt Padikkal at three, Venkatesh Iyer at five and Nuwan Thushara as an X factor

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first ever IPL title in 2025 and walk into IPL 2026 as defending champions for the first time in the franchise's history.

Eighteen years of heartbreak ended last season under Rajat Patidar's captaincy and the squad that delivered that title has been largely kept together with specific additions made to address the areas where RCB felt they could be stronger.

The Abu Dhabi mini auction was clinical. Venkatesh Iyer at Rs 7 crore adds left-handed power and a bowling option in the middle overs. Mangesh Yadav at Rs 5.2 crore brings left-arm pace heat at 145 kilometres per hour as an Impact Player option.

The core that won the title is intact and the additions have been made with a clear purpose. Here is what the best RCB XI looks like for IPL 2026.

IPL 2026: The batting order of RCB and why it is built differently from last year

Virat Kohli opens and brings everything he always brings. He scored over 600 runs in the title winning campaign and walks into 2026 with the freedom that comes from finally being a champion.

Phil Salt opens alongside him as the Powerplay aggressor retained specifically to keep the intent high from ball one. His job is to disrupt lengths and force the opposition onto the back foot before the innings finds its shape.

Devdutt Padikkal comes in at three as the homecoming hero. He is back at the franchise where his IPL career began and arrives in the best form of his life after scoring over 700 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His left-handed presence at three also creates an immediate tactical problem for opposition captains who have to shuffle their bowling matchups from the third over onwards.

Rajat Patidar drops to four as captain and the man who broke the 18-year drought will look to control the middle phase of the innings from that position.

Venkatesh Iyer at five adds further left-handed power and gives Patidar a bowling option when the conditions suit.

Jitesh Sharma at six is the designated spin-basher whose ability to hit from the first ball he faces makes him one of the most dangerous players in the competition at that position.

Tim David at seven is the overseas muscle retained specifically to exploit the short Chinnaswamy boundaries. When he comes in the game is typically in its final phase and he is the best in the business at finishing it off.

Krunal Pandya at eight is the control factor, a cricketer who can dry up runs and take wickets and whose tactical understanding of the game adds a different kind of value to the lower order.

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IPL 2026: The bowling attack and what Josh Hazlewood situation means for RCB

Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the pace attack. He bowled brilliantly in the 2025 final and his swing with the new ball gives RCB the early wickets they were missing for years.

Yash Dayal at ten brings left-arm death over variations that are particularly uncomfortable for right-handed batters at this ground.

Nuwan Thushara at eleven is the slingy wicket-taker whose low release point makes his yorkers very difficult to pick and whose style is tailor-made for tail-end cleanups.

Mangesh Yadav comes in as the Impact Player bringing 145 kilometre per hour left-arm pace heat to surprise openers when the game demands it.

Josh Hazlewood is reportedly missing the first two weeks with a hamstring and Achilles issue but Jacob Duffy has been signed specifically as his backup and is ready to step in without a significant drop in quality. When Hazlewood returns the RCB bowling attack will be the most complete it has ever been.

RCB predicted XI for IPL 2026:

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara.

Impact Player: Mangesh Yadav.

RCB's squad for IPL 2026:

Rajat Patidar (c), 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, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan.