Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have retained a strong core of 17 players and made targeted additions in the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. For the first time in their history, RCB will enter an IPL season as defending champions.Here’s a look at RCB’s predicted Playing XI and Impact Player for IPL 2026:Virat Kohli: The veteran batter will continue in his opening role for RCB, riding on his red-hot IPL form. Having already crossed the 9000-run milestone, Kohli remains crucial in providing aggressive starts during the powerplay.Phil Salt: Phil Salt was a key figure in RCB’s title-winning campaign last season, consistently giving the team explosive starts. However, he could face competition from Jacob Bethell, who impressed in the T20 World Cup, including a century against India at Wankhede.Devdutt Padikkal: Devdutt Padikkal is expected to play a pivotal role at No. 3, acting as the bridge between the explosive opening pair and the middle order. While he is likely to be the first-choice option, he will face competition from Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for Rs 7 crore in the auction.Rajat Patidar (C): Rajat Patidar will continue as captain after leading RCB to their historic maiden IPL title. Alongside his leadership, his impact as a powerful middle-order batter will remain vital for the team.Jitesh Sharma (WK): One of RCB’s unsung heroes, Jitesh Sharma played crucial knocks last season, including a standout innings against LSG. He will continue as wicketkeeper and finisher, supporting Tim David and Romario Shepherd in the death overs.Tim David: Tim David will serve as RCB’s primary finisher and lower middle-order power-hitter. With a strike rate hovering around 170-180 in the death overs, he brings stability and firepower to the team’s finishing efforts.Romario Shepherd: Romario Shepherd’s all-round abilities make him a key asset. He delivered crucial performances in the playoffs last season with both bat and ball and is expected to provide balance once again.Krunal Pandya: All-rounder Krunal Pandya, who played a key role in the IPL 2025 final taking 2 wickets for just 17 runs in 4 overs. He offers perfect balance with both bat and ball. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The “swing king” will lead RCB’s pace attack, especially in the absence of Josh Hazlewood at the start of the tournament. His powerplay bowling will be vital.Yash Dayal: Yash Dayal has been a reliable all-phase bowler for RCB in recent seasons. His role across powerplay, middle, and death overs will be important, although concerns remain as he hasn’t played competitive cricket since IPL 2025 due to legal issues.Jacob Duffy: Jacob Duffy is expected to fill the void left by Josh Hazlewood in the early stages of the tournament. His performances with the new ball will be crucial for RCB’s bowling unit.Impact Player: Suyash SharmaSuyash Sharma made a strong impact last season with his wicket-taking ability. His mystery spin makes him a leading candidate for the Impact Player role once again.

Royal Challenger Bengaluru (RCB) predicted playing XI for IPL 2026

LUCKNOW: A 30-year-old Pratapgarh man, Vishnu Yadav, was beaten to death by his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sisters-in-law in front of his wife at their Aashiana residence, police said on Thursday.“The victim’s wife was tied up, gagged, and held hostage while the assault unfolded,” police added. “The intention was to teach Vishnu a lesson for marrying their daughter Sakshi Singh four years ago against the family’s wishes.”Police arrested six family members on Thursday. The family allegedly nursed a grudge against Vishnu ever since the wedding.On March 17, the couple was called to Sakshi’s parental home in Sector I, Bangla Bazaar. Investigators said Sakshi was overpowered, tied up, and locked in a room while her husband was brutally assaulted.“The accused repeatedly hit Vishnu with wooden planks and an iron rod until he died,” a police officer said. Sakshi, later rescued by police, told investigators that her father, mother, and four sisters carried out the attack while she remained confined and helpless.Police arrived after a Dial 112 call and found Vishnu’s body in a pool of blood. Sakshi was found bound with visible injuries and immediately freed.A case was registered under murder and other charges based on a complaint lodged by Vishnu’s father. The arrested accused—Tirthraj Singh, his wife Saroj Devi, and their daughters Radha, Ratna, Jyoti, and Vidhi—have been sent to judicial custody. Blood-stained wooden planks and a rod believed to have been used in the murder were also recovered.The postmortem revealed Vishnu suffered 20 ante-mortem injuries, including 16 on the skull. The injuries included multiple lacerations, contusions, abrasions, skull fractures, and intracranial haemorrhage. Additional wounds were recorded on the face and neck. The autopsy concluded the cause of death was shock and haemorrhage from severe head trauma, caused by repeated blows with blunt objects.

Vishnu’s family has demanded the death penalty. His brother Rohit Yadav said, “What was done to Vishnu is beyond cruelty. We want nothing less than the death penalty.” Their father, Chhedilal Yadav, echoed the demand, saying justice would only be served if the accused receive capital punishment.

KKR have an abundance of options at the top of their batting order; hence, their biggest challenge would be to figure out what their batting order would look like. They would have options, including former openers, some dynamic overseas batters and lastly, the Australian all-rounder as well.

Kolkata Knight Riders rocked back in the powerplay in 2024, when Phil Salt opened for KKR alongside Sunil Narine. However, Narine himself failed the next season, and KKR could not find an apt replacement for Salt, as QDK and Rahmanullah Gurbaz both failed at the top.

They picked up new players like Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, who are the two new players in the KKR dugout who would play a significant role in 2026. The two Kiwi openers played a massive role for the White Ferns in the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup.

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KKR’s assistant coach reveals Cameron Green’s batting position

Though in a major turn of events, the Kolkata Knight Riders are yet to finalize their batting order for the upcoming season of the IPL. Shane Watson, the former Australian all-rounder, was appointed the assistant coach of the KKR side, and he has now made a massive revelation.

Responding to a question about Cameron Green to India Today, he said that the franchise is blessed to have such players who flaunt world-class batting talent. The biggest challenge is to pick the right combination for the team.

“Obviously, with Cameron Green, the quality of cricketer he is as an all-rounder means that wherever he gets an opportunity, he is going to make the most of it,” the former Australian said in the interview.

Shane Watson praises the world-class talent pool of KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders will truly have a major dilemma on their batting front, as they are stuffed with too many batters in the same position. Supposedly, they have Allen, Seifert, Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine, who can all be opening options for them.

“The beauty of this Kolkata Knight Riders squad is the number of incredible, world-class batting options we have. It’s an embarrassment of riches in terms of the calibre of players and figuring out where they all fit in.

“That’s going to be the ultimate challenge for the leaders of this organization—to get those combinations right from game one and make adjustments as the tournament progresses,” Watson said at Eden Gardens in a press conference felicitated by JioStar.

Also, Rovman Powell might be the rescue agent for KKR in the lower order, who could be the power-hitting replacement for Andre Russell. Rinku Singh will have to play a crucial role for them in the upcoming season.

“We’ve got some seriously powerful, world-class players, along with a blend of experience and youthful energy. It’s exciting to see how that plays out over the course of the tournament,” he added.

KKR will struggle in the bowling department

Kolkata Knight Riders are heavily reliant on their overseas players in the batting department; however, they have to be very strategic with their pitch preparation. The pitch at the Eden Gardens often supports a batting-friendly track.

However, the Knight Riders would be struggling in their bowling department, as they are short of options in that department as well. They will not have Mustafizur Rahman and Harshit Rana. Matheesha Pathirana, the Lankan pacer’s inclusion, would also remain a major uncertainty.

In their absence, it will be tough for Kolkata to manage their bowling deck. Varun Chakravarthy’s form has also been a serious concern since the T20 World Cup 2026. They would also not have their fifth bowling option right.

ALSO READ: Venkatesh Iyer becomes headache for Virat Kohli and RCB ahead of IPL 2026

India’s Shreyas Iyer (PTI Photo/Atul Yadav)

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, batter Shreyas Iyer opened up about a tough phase in his career after suffering a serious spleen injury during the Australia tour. The injury forced him into hospital and led to significant weight loss. “It’s always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around 7 kg due to the injury, it was a severe one. Thankfully, I was back in good shape after two months. But gaining those 7 kg back took a lot of effort. I enjoy challenges, and that was one I had to overcome. I’m glad I came through that phase and am back representing my team, and also having represented India in the previous series. I feel proud of myself,” Iyer told reporters in the pre-season press conference.

Despite the setback, Iyer worked hard to regain his fitness and return to competitive cricket. He resumed playing as Mumbai’s captain in domestic cricket and had mixed results afterwards, including a modest ODI series against New Zealand. Still, his focus remained on improving and leading from the front. Speaking again about his recovery, he said, “It is always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around seven kilos, and it took a lot of effort to gain that weight back. But I love challenges. I am glad I overcame that part of my life, and I am back here proudly representing the team.” Now leading Punjab Kings, Iyer is fully focused on winning the IPL trophy. “Expectations are high, which is fun. I love the challenge. But the important thing is that whenever we step in, we have to win. My eye is on the trophy,” he added. He emphasised team bonding off the field, saying, “This is the period where we live as a family for two months,” and highlighted how spending time together helps performance.Teammate Arshdeep Singh echoed the positive energy, saying, “When you feel the pressure, it is a privilege.”