The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction held by Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16, had 369 players available for the franchises. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions, were quite active in the auction and had the all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer as their significant buy among the eight players to be signed.
RCB, with Rajat Patidar as their captain, had an unforgettable season and was the winner of the IPL title for the first time. The franchise kept 17 players, while six others, including Liam Livingstone and Lungi Ngidi, were let go. Also, since RCB had eight open positions and a budget of Rs 16.4 crores, they were very choosy in their actions.
RCB’s auction highlight was Venkatesh Iyer, who they bought for Rs 7 crore. Apart from this, the following players were also purchased by RCB: Jacob Duffy (Rs 2 crore), Satvik Deswal (Rs 30 lakh), Mangesh Yadav (Rs 5.2 crore), Jordan Cox (Rs 75 lakh), Vicky Ostwal (Rs 30 lakh), Vihaan Malhotra (Rs 30 lakh), and Kanishk Chouhan (Rs 30 lakh).
The headline players were signed in this case, and we will now discuss three players who could be left out of the game altogether for RCB in IPL 2026.
Jordan Cox
The English wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox, sold for ₹75 lakh, is one of the players who may not take part in any game for RCB in IPL 2026. Cox’s aggressive batting, coupled with his superb fielding, are his trademarks. In addition to the good record he has with first-class games, he has scored 3889 runs at a strike-rate of 54.75 in 62 innings.
Nevertheless, RCB’s batting department seems to be in a good place. Virat Kohli and Phil Salt were the opening pair and they were a major reason for the team winning the title last season. The combination of their traits, i.e., one being very aggressive and the other very stable, was the perfect one and RCB ensured there were no changes.
In case one of the openers cannot make it, RCB will have Jacob Bethell to fill the gap. With such powerful substitutes already established, it is very unlikely that Cox will come back to the playing area unless the management changes the plan due to injuries or major changes in the players’ performance.
Kanishk Chouhan
The all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan, who has been picked at his base price of ₹30 lakh, is one more who might find it difficult to make his way into the playing XI. Kanishk, who is a young star in the Under-19 cricket, is famous for his aggressive batting and economical bowling.
RCB has already acquired several established all-rounders despite Kanishk’s skills. Krunal and Romario had a good last season in their department while new signings like Deswal and Yadav even more add the department’s strength.
Vicky Ostwal
The left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal, who was signed for ₹30 lakh, also seems like he won’t be a regular in the team of RCB. His IPL journey hasn’t been easy so far. The Delhi Capitals (DC) bought him in 2022, but he couldn’t play one single match throughout the three seasons. His transfer to RCB gives him a clean slate, yet the contest is still tight.
RCB have already got Krunal Pandya as their main spinner and Swapnil Singh as another spin option. Both players bring in experience and stability, hence Ostwal might once more find himself sitting on the bench for most of the season.