New Delhi, Nov 15 : Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru finalised their retained squad ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 auction, having kept 17 players and released eight.

Rajat Patidar, who led the team to their maiden victory in 18 editions of the tournament, will continue at the helm, while Virat Kohli, the former captain of the franchise, will continue for a record 19th season with the team.

The franchise have retained their core players, with match-winners like Phil Salt, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd and Josh Hazlewood, among others, being the ones retained.

The RCB's most significant snub was England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who was released due to his underwhelming performance last year. Additionally, South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi was also let go by the franchise. Overall, RCB released a total of eight players before the auction.

Last year, RCB signed Livingstone for Rs 8.75 crore during the mega auction, but he scored only 112 runs in 10 matches.

RCB tasted glory for the first time in 18 years as they lifted the coveted silverware in 2025. The Bengaluru-based franchise finished second in the points table after the league stage. They then achieved consecutive victories over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 and the final, held on May 29 and June 3, respectively, ending an 18-year wait for their inaugural IPL title. Virat Kohli was the top scorer for the Rajat Patidar-led squad in IPL 2025, while Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood recorded the most dismissals.

Retained: 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

Released: Liam Livingstone, Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi, Blessing Muzarabani, Mohit Rathee

/IANS