3 players RCB must target at the IPL 2026 auction ft. Venkatesh Iyer

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are in a purple patch at the moment. The defending champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) are in an excellent position to further their stronghold over the league with a few smart buys at the 2026 auction.

RCB have also been boosted by the reported return of top-level cricket to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. With most of their first XI being settled already, Bengaluru will just need to acquire a few quality backups to fill out their talented roster.

Players released: Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Mayank Agarwal, Manoj Bhandage, Swastik Chikara, Mohit Rathee

Players retained: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil Singh

On that note, here are three players RCB must target at the IPL 2026 auction.

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#3 Abhinav Manohar

2025 IPL - Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders - Source: Getty

A local boy with a keen understanding of the conditions, Abhinav Manohar could be a useful middle-order backup for RCB. The Karnataka man has had his issues against express pace, but his six-hitting ability and prowess against spin make him suited to a role in the team's middle order.

Like Devdutt Padikkal and Mayank Agarwal last year, Manohar would add some local flavor at a decent price. The right-handed batter is one of the better options available at the IPL 2026 auction, with middle-order backups being hard to come by in the current pool.

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#2 Anrich Nortje

2025 IPL - Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Source: Getty

Josh Hazlewood and Nuwan Thushara form a unique pace-bowling department. Following the release of Lungi Ngidi, RCB have the opportunity to snap up a better backup for the Aussie, who has been ruled out of the Ashes with a spate of injuries.

Anrich Nortje, who recently returned from a long spell on the sidelines, could be a useful pickup for the Royal Challengers. The South African hasn't lost much pace, having regularly flirted with the 150-kph mark in his two outings in the ongoing T20I series against India.

Nortje's ability to extract bounce could be useful at the Chinnaswamy, making him a viable candidate for RCB.

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#1 Venkatesh Iyer

2025 IPL - Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders - Source: Getty

A player RCB went hard for during the previous auction, Venkatesh Iyer might be high on the team's target list. The southpaw could slot in anywhere in the top four, and his ability to take on left-arm spin could be useful to the team's needs.

Iyer will be pursued by the Knight Riders, but whether they can afford to splurge on him again when they have a host of roles to fill remains to be seen. If RCB can go hard for the left-hander and secure his services, they would make their playing XI even stronger.