Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 2026 squad, form, fixtures and fantasy picks
Royal Challengers Bengaluru coverage for IPL 2026: confirmed squad, fixture list, last-5 form, probable XI, captaincy and coaching set-up, and the fantasy cricket reads the desk is watching.
Season overview
Royal Challengers Bengaluru come into the 2026 season as One-time champion (2025), with 4 W · 3 L after the first seven matches and an NRR of +0.205. The desk's read: Kohli-Patidar middle, two-spinner depth, aggressive powerplay, brittle death-overs execution.
The captain is Rajat Patidar, the head coach is Andy Flower, and the home venue is M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Five players we're watching especially closely this week: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Faf du Plessis, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Squad sheet
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2026 squad lists 25 with eight overseas players. The roster below mirrors the franchise's most recent communication and is updated when the franchise confirms a change.
| Player | Nationality | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | Indian | Opener |
| Faf du Plessis | Overseas | Opener |
| Rajat Patidar (c) | Indian | Middle order |
| Will Jacks | Overseas | Middle order |
| Mahipal Lomror | Indian | All-rounder |
| Dinesh Karthik | Indian | Wicketkeeper |
| Cameron Green | Overseas | All-rounder |
| Josh Hazlewood | Overseas | Pace |
| Yash Dayal | Indian | Left-arm pace |
| Mohammed Siraj | Indian | Pace |
| Rashid Khan | Overseas | Leg-spin |
| Impact: Suyash Prabhudessai | Indian | Batter |
Fantasy cricket reads for the squad
Where the RCB squad overlaps with this week's fantasy slate, here is where the desk is reading the picks. Three pages the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain-cutters tend to land on first:
- Captain picks: tonight's RCB likely XI is rated against the next opposition, and the captain-candidate list is ranked by fantasy ROI rather than reputation.
- Dream team: the dream-team builder accepts any Royal Challengers Bengaluru player, prints the salary cost per pick, and flags combinations that breach the cap before you commit.
- Orange Cap and Purple Cap: the run-scorer and wicket-taker leaderboards have a Royal Challengers Bengaluru filter, which is the quickest way to see whether the form curve is real or noise.
Form line and the powerplay split
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru form curve tracks the run-rate scored and conceded across every completed match this season. Sides that trend up in both directions at once are usually top-four material; sides flat or trending down on either axis tend to finish bottom-half. We refresh the RCB curve after every match and surface it on the desk's match-report flow.
Next four on the slate
RCB next four: at MI (Apr 13, evening) · vs DC (Apr 16, evening) · at SRH (Apr 19, evening) · vs RR (Apr 22, afternoon).
The list above reflects the league's most recent published update for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru run-in. Reschedules or venue moves get reflected on the schedule page the same day the league confirms them — and we mirror the change here so fantasy players building a captain-pick slate around the next match aren't planning around a stale fixture.
Three tactical matchups to watch
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru matchups the desk is tracking this season. Each one decides a different phase of the game — the new ball, the middle overs, the chase, or the death.
Kohli's powerplay read
A Kohli innings above run-a-ball in the first six overs is the RCB signal that 200 is on. The matchup is against the opposition's best new-ball bowler.
Chinnaswamy dimensions
The short square boundaries at the Chinnaswamy compress bowling plans. Even 190 is chaseable when dew is in.
Hazlewood + Siraj powerplay
The two quicks operating in tandem at the top is the RCB defensive plan. If both go under 35 in the powerplay, RCB's middle order chases rather than builds.
Likely XI for the next game
The XI that lost against KKR:
We anchor the XI around the RCB spine — Rajat Patidar's call on team balance, the bowler load-outs that match the next pitch, and one overseas slot held open for impact. When rotation is in play, the bench option is named beside the most likely XI so fantasy players aren't guessing.
Common reader questions
Who is the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain for IPL 2026 is Rajat Patidar, with Andy Flower continuing as head coach.
What is the Royal Challengers Bengaluru home venue?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru play their home matches at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
How many times have the Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru — One-time champion (2025).
When is the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's next match?
The next four RCB fixtures: at MI (Apr 13, evening) · vs DC (Apr 16, evening) · at SRH (Apr 19, evening) · vs RR (Apr 22, afternoon). The shortest path to the next match start time is the schedule-fixtures page.
Which Royal Challengers Bengaluru players should fantasy players consider?
The captain-picks page rates the RCB XI against the next opposition each night, and the dream-team builder prints the salary cost per Royal Challengers Bengaluru pick. Pair the two before locking in a captain choice.
Has the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad changed for 2026?
Squads shift at the auction window and through mid-season substitutions. This page tracks the RCB squad as it stands today; we update it whenever the franchise confirms a change.
