4 Players Royal Challengers Bengaluru Will Retain For IPL 2026

Virat Kohli, for the last two seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has shouldered the burden of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the previous two seasons. Their new captain, Rajat Patidar, who had so much pressure coming into this edition, led the side brilliantly.

However, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a few great players this year in both the batting and bowling departments. Although they won’t be able to retain all, they will try their best to keep as many players as they can.

They are currently in the third position on the points table with eight victories in 13 group-stage encounters. Bengaluru started the season with four wins in the first six games, including two home defeats. Meanwhile, they have not lost a single game yet away from home.

Meanwhile, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s best period of the event came during the middle phase. They gained four consecutive wins before losing the previous game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow. With a powerful pace bowling unit, the franchise will look to invest more in that department.

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar has contributed immensely inside the first six overs of the innings, while Josh Hazlewood has used his pace variations to do well in the middle and death overs of the game.

Here are the four players Royal Challengers Bengaluru will retain for the IPL 2026

1. Virat Kohli

The former captain of the franchise, Virat Kohli, was the leading run-getter of the previous year with 741 runs in 15 innings. He continued the same dominance this year with 548 runs in 12 innings at an average of 60.88 and a strike rate of 145.35, with seven half-centuries.

Whenever there was a run chase, eyes would always be on Kohli, who would stabilize one end and smash the big shots later in the innings. The former Indian captain, who recently retired from Test cricket, will pay more attention to this format.

There were questions on the veteran not going aggressive at the start of his innings, but he has now converted himself into a different batter altogether. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will make him the first retention for the next season.

2. Rajat Patidar

The new Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain, Rajat Patidar, has shown his skill in nailing the big shots against the spinners in the middle overs. He has also done a great job of leading the franchise in the presence of many experienced batters.

The 31-year-old right-handed batter has struggled in patches, with 257 runs in 11 innings. He has carried an average of under 24 with a strike rate of 138.17, thanks to a couple of half-centuries at the best score of 64 runs.

Still, it will be important for the franchise to trust their captain for the upcoming season.

3. Josh Hazlewood

The tall and lanky Australian pace bowler, Josh Hazlewood, has displayed how he could prove to be clinical with the ball in every phase of the game. He uses the hard length deliveries, which are never easy for the batters to hit in any situation of the game.

Josh is the fourth leading wicket-taker of the IPL 2025. He picked up 18 wickets in 10 innings at an average of just over 17 and an economy rate of 8.44, with the best figure of 4/27 in an inning.

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However, it could be a risk to retain the foreign pacer, but the Royal Challengers Bengaluru could be able to retain the fast bowler.

4. Jitesh Sharma

The wicket-keeper batter of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Jitesh Sharma, is the vice-captain of the side and led the side during Patidar’s injury in the business end.

Meanwhile, Jitesh has shown his skill for nailing the aggressive shots in the death overs with ease, and he always brings the additional wicket-keeping skill to the equation.

He is also someone who brings a calm nature to the side. This year, the right-handed batter bashed 152 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 144.76 and can be another ideal option to get retained.