IPL Auction 2026: Far from perfect, champions RCB look to plug gaps in Abu Dhabi | Cricket News
They came so close three times earlier too, close enough to see it, feel it, but not close enough to hold it. But their time came, finally, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Virat Kohli became the champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) last season (2025) after defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final.For the first time, RCB will enter the IPL Auction, set to be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, with the badge of champions.
Under Rajat Patidar’s captaincy, RCB produced their best IPL season. They won 11 of their 16 matches, finishing with a win percentage of 68.8 as the title drought came to an end.Ahead of the auction, RCB have released Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Mayank Agarwal, Manoj Bhandage, Swastik Chikara, and Mohit Rathee.With Rs 16.40 crore of purse left, RCB have 8 slots remaining, 2 of them overseas, to be filled. As the auction is just around the corner, here’s a look at IPL champions’ strengths, work they need to do, and players they might look for in the auction.
Solid opening, blast finishing
Virat Kohli and Phil Salt provided RCB with good starts throughout the season and were the top two scorers for their team with 657 and 403 runs, respectively. While Salt was explosive with a strike rate of 175.98, Kohli gave RCB solidity at the top.The middle order was kept together by Devdutt Padikkal and captain Rajat Patidar, both of whom had a good season with 247 and 312 runs, respectively.But perhaps their strongest point in the batting was Tim David and Jitesh Sharma, and Romario Shepherd on some occasions, who provided RCB with blitzkrieg finishes. Tim David scored at a strike rate of 185.15, Jitesh hit 261 runs at 176.35, and in the three innings that he played, Romario struck at 291.67.
Opposition bowled over
Batting might help you win matches, but it is the bowling that wins a tournament, and it did for RCB last year. With Josh Hazelwood as their highest wicket-taker (22 wickets at an economy of 8.77), RCB had three bowlers in the top 10 highest wicket-takers’ list in the 2025 season, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (17 wickets at 9.29), and Krunal Pandya (17 wickets at 8.24) being the other two.Yash Dayal (13 wickets at 9.50), also had his set of contributions.
Things to ponder upon at the auction
RCB’s bowling depth is an area of concern. Hazlewood has already been ruled out of the Ashes, and with a T20 World Cup ahead, his workload management is a concern. Dayal has not played top-level cricket since the IPL 2025 final.RCB will almost certainly look for an overseas fast-bowling backup and a domestic seamer who can step in.New Zealand’s Matt Henry could be a like-for-like overseas option for Hazlewood.Shivam Mavi, Kartik Tyagi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Akash Madhwal, among others, are some of the Indian fast-bowling options RCB might look towards.Having released Liam Livingstone, it is possible that RCB may try Jacob Bethell in the middle order. Bethell played 2 matches last year and scored 67 runs at a handsome strike rate of 171.59.However, RCB may also look for an Indian explosive batter for the middle order as a backup option for Devdutt Padikkal.Additionally, there won’t be any surprise if RCB go all-in for a spinner too.With Rs 16.40 crore of purse, the IPL champions are far from a perfect side, and RCB have plenty of shopping to do in Abu Dhabi.
