IPL 2026: What could make or break RCB’s campaign

• RCB, 2025 IPL champs, relocate home games to Raipur/Navi Mumbai due to safety concerns.
• Iyer signed for INR 7 Cr, bolstering batting; Hazlewood's fitness is a key concern.
• Title defense, unfamiliar venues pose threats; senior player reliance is also a risk.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru head into IPL 2026 as defending champions, but the season will be very different from the last one. RCB will not play at their

traditional home, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, due to safety concerns. Instead, their home leg will be split between Raipur and Navi Mumbai. Despite that, the Rajat Patidar-led team enters the season after winning their maiden IPL title in 2025 and will be keen to defend it.

RCB retained 17 players; they entered the auction with eight vacant slots and a purse of INR 16.40 crore, one of the lower budgets among teams. They released a few big names, including Liam Livingstone and Lungi Ngidi, along with Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Agarwal, Mohit Rathee, and Sachin Baby. At the auction in Abu Dhabi, RCB signed eight players. The headline buy was all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for INR 7 crore, finally securing a player they had chased hard in previous auctions. They also added Jacob Duffy as a fast-bowling cover, Mangesh Yadav as a left-arm pace option, and Jordan Cox.

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Strengths

RCB’s biggest strength is squad balance. Most of their title-winning XI remains the same, which reduces the risk of combination issues early in the season. The batting core of Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, and Tim David has covered all the bases. The addition of Venkatesh Iyer strengthens the Indian batting core and provides flexibility at No. 3 or No. 4, along with a seam-bowling option if needed.

In bowling, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are once again set to make a deadly pace duo and continue from where they left off. RCB also has multiple all-rounders like Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd, which helps them to put in the right combinations.

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Weaknesses

RCB’s main weakness lies in fast-bowling fitness concerns. Josh Hazlewood’s injury history remains a big concern for the defending champions, and Yash Dayal has not played competitive cricket for a long period. While Jacob Duffy and Mangesh Yadav are seen as cover, they lack experience at the IPL. Any extended injury to first-choice pacers could expose this depth.

Another concern is the lack of a clear second-line spinner. Suyash Sharma is effective, but it is not correct to say whether he could replicate the same performance as he did last year. Furthermore, RCB relies on part-time or defensive spin options. On slower pitches like Raipur, this could be an issue. If form dips or workloads need managing, RCB may struggle to find like-for-like replacements.

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Opportunities

Playing home matches in Raipur and Navi Mumbai gives a different opportunity for RCB. Unlike Chinnaswamy, these venues are less batting-friendly, which could help RCB’s bowling unit, especially seamers who rely on movement. If RCB adapts faster than opponents, this venue shift could work in their favour.

Venkatesh Iyer also has a strong opportunity to revive his IPL career. With less pressure compared to his previous high price tag, he can play a freer role and become a crucial contributor. Young players like Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, and Suyash Sharma have a chance to establish themselves under a strong leadership group. 

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Threats

The biggest threat to MI is over-reliance on their senior players. Rohit, de Kock, Boult, and Santner are all on the wrong side of 30. Any dip in form could affect MI’s performance. Notably, other teams have stronger benches. MI’s limited auction spending has led to their lack of like-for-like replacements.

The biggest threat to RCB is the challenge of defending the title. Historically, IPL champions have struggled to repeat success, as opponents closely understand their strengths. RCB will face every team’s best plans. The absence of Chinnaswamy Stadium is another major threat. RCB’s home dominance was built around familiar conditions and strong crowd support. Neutral venues may reduce that psychological edge. 

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru 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, Mangesh Yadav, Jacob Duffy, Satwik Deswal, Jordan Cox, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan, Vicky Ostwal