RCB Playing 11 IPL 2026: Will Venkatesh Iyer Get Spot | Irfan Pathan's BEST XI

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is all set to start their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign on March 28 by playing against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Bengaluru. The defending champions have a new addition to their squad, Venkatesh Iyer who may not get a spot in the starting playing XI. RCB will be backing Devdutt Padikkal, who has played for them in the previous season and has a good record as well. If he fails in the first few games, Iyer might get a chance in the playing XI. Until then, he'll have to warm the benches and wait for his turn. Let's take a look at RCB Playing 11 in IPL 2026.

RCB Playing 11 for IPL 2026 (Probable)

RCB, one of the best team in IPL, is most likely to retain most of the players in the starting 11 from the previous season. However, they might bring in Jacob Duffy into the playing XI since Josh Hazlewood will not be available for the first few matches. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt will open the innings along with Padikkal at the No. 3 position. Then, skipper Rajat Patidar will come in, followed by keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma.

The franchise might not change the winning combination for a few games to see if they yield the same results. The overseas players will be Phil Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, and Jacob Duffy. The RCB Playing 11 IPL 2026 does look sorted as well as one of the most dangerous teams in IPL on paper but the fans will have to see how they perform on the match day.

Irfan Pathan RCB Playing 11 for IPL 2026

India's former cricketer Irfan Pathan revealed his playing XI for RCB, where he mentioned that the franchise will almost go with the same playing XI from the previous season. Meanwhile, he also included Venkatesh Iyer in his playing XI. However, the only change which is quite evident is Josh Hazlewood. Apart from that, he went on with the same playing XI as the previous season.

"Phil Salt, Romario Shepherd, Tim David and Josh Hazlewood, these are my four overseas players. Pretty much the same batting lineup, those 12 if you are talking about from the last season," said Irfan Pathan.

Injury Update in RCB Squad 2026

RCB have suffered a huge blow ahead of the season as the star bowler, Josh Hazlewood, is still recovering from an injury and is most likely to be out of the tournament for the first few matches. Hazlewood, who also missed the T20 World Cup, has been constantly working on his fitness. Moreover, since major series are coming up, Cricket Australia is quite concerned about the players' fitness. However, he is likely to join the team in mid April and add his quality in bowling.

Conclusion

The defending champions will play the opening game of the tournament for the third time in a row, showcasing their dominance in the tournament. After struggling for 17 years, they finally won the trophy in the 18th year. Now, the reigning champions will look forward to defending the title. Rajat Patidar will lead the team in this season as well. Only the availability of Josh Hazlewood has put the team in a dilemma, but they have Jacob Duffy as an alternative, so that shouldn't be an issue for them.