Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has made strategic retentions ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction, retaining a core group of players to build around.
The four players retained by RCB are captain Smriti
Mandhana (retained for ₹3.5 crore), wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh (₹2.75 crore), Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry (₹2 crore), and Shreyanka Patil (₹60 lakh). These retentions have cost the franchise a total of ₹8.85 crore from their purse, leaving them with ₹6.15 crore for the remaining auction. RCB also holds one Right to Match card to potentially buy back a released player during the auction if outbid by others. This approach offers them flexibility and scope to strengthen their squad, especially targeting strike bowlers and adding middle-order stability around their core players.
In terms of WPL history, RCB were the 2024 WPL champions, which sets a high benchmark for their upcoming campaign. Their retention reflects an effort to maintain leadership continuity with Smriti Mandhana and a balanced team composition that includes reliable batting, world-class all-round skills via Ellyse Perry, and depth in the bowling attack. Significantly, many players from their previous roster were released to refresh the squad for the new season, underlining a clear strategy to reinforce strike bowling and middle-order resilience during the November 27 mega auction.
The auction strategy points to RCB aiming to add 1-2 key players in the bowling department while filling other roles with value picks. Maintaining a strong leadership core and balanced squad gives them a solid foundation to compete strongly in WPL 2026.
RCB WPL 2026 Retained Players
Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.5 crore)
Richa Ghosh (INR 2.75 crore)
Ellyse Perry (INR 2 crore)
Shreyanka Patil (INR 60 lakh)
RCB WPL 2026 Auction Buys
Georgia Voll - Rs 60 lakh
Nadine de Klerk - Rs 65 lakh
Radha Yadav - Rs 65 lakh
Lauren Bell - Rs 90 lakh
Prema Rawat - Rs 20 lakh
Arundhati Reddy - Rs 75 lakh
Pooja Vastrakar - Rs 85 lakh
Grace Harris - Rs 75 lakh
Gautami Naik - Rs 10 lakh
Prathyoosha Kumar - Rs 10 lakh
Dayalan Hemalatha - Rs 30 lakh
RCB Women WPL 2026 Squad
Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, Dayalan Hemalatha
