The wait is over, and the ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’ chants have finally transformed into a triumphant reality. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) enter the IPL 2026 season not as the perennial underdogs or the almost team, but as the defending champions. After a historic 2025 campaign where they clinically dismantled Punjab Kings in the final to lift their maiden trophy, the narrative in the Garden City has shifted from hope to expectation. Under the shrewd leadership of Rajat Patidar and the tactical mastery of head coach Andy Flower, RCB have shed its image of a top-heavy, volatile unit to become a balanced, winning machine.

As we approach the 2026 season, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is buzzing with a different kind of energy. The pressure of breaking the jinx is gone, replaced by the formidable challenge of building a dynasty. With a squad that balances the evergreen brilliance of Virat Kohli with the explosive middle-order depth of Phil Salt and Jitesh Sharma, the question on every RCB fan’s heart is simple: Can RCB defend their title and make it two in a row?

RCB’s quest for the second title in IPL 2026

Defending an IPL title is a feat only achieved by the elite, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. For RCB to join this exclusive club, they have doubled down on stability. Unlike previous years where the franchise often hit the reset button, the 2026 strategy has been about surgical reinforcements. By retaining 17 players from their championship-winning squad, the management has signalled total faith in the chemistry that brought them glory in 2025.

The addition of Venkatesh Iyer for a whopping ₹7 crore at the auction is a masterstroke designed to provide the tactical flexibility RCB has lacked for a decade. With Iyer, the team gains a bridge between the top and middle order, as well as a medium-pace option that allows them to play an extra specialist bowler if needed. The goal is clear: don’t fix what isn’t broken, but reinforce the walls to withstand the inevitable counter-attack from the rest of the league.

RCB’s SWOT analysis for IPL 2026

To understand if RCB can truly replicate their success, we must dive deep into the four pillars of their current ecosystem. This SWOT analysis breaks down the internal and external factors that will define their 2026 journey.

Strengths:

• The “Kohli-Patidar-Salt” reliability: Kohli remains the heartbeat of the team, coming off a solid 2025 season where he played the anchor role to perfection whereas Salt is known for his intent blast in powerplay. Alongside them, Captain Patidar has matured into a leader who leads by example, often playing the high-impact knocks under pressure that were once RCB’s Achilles’ heel.
• The finisher’s vlub: With Jitesh, Romario Shepherd, and Tim David in the mix, RCB possesses one of the most terrifying death-overs lineups in the league. This depth allows the top order to play with more freedom, knowing there is significant firepower to follow.
• Death bowling mastery: The resurgence of Yash Dayal and the veteran experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar provide RCB with a rare luxury domestic pacers who can nail yorkers in the final three overs at the Chinnaswamy.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of Wrist-Spin Variety: While Suyash Sharma is a brilliant find and a genuine wicket-taker, the squad is remarkably thin on leg-spin backups. In a tournament as long as the IPL, an injury to Suyash could leave a massive hole in the middle-overs wicket-taking department.
• The fragility of the pace attack: Josh Hazlewood is a world-class operator, but his history of fitness issues is well-documented. If Hazlewood or the newly signed Jacob Duffy aren’t available for the full season, the burden on the Indian domestic pacers might become unsustainable.

Also READ: “Anil bhai at 8…”: Virat Kohli names his greatest RCB playing XI featuring iconic leg spinner ahead of IPL 2026

Opportunities:

• U-19 World Cup prodigies: RCB struck gold at the mini-auction by picking up stars like Kanishk Chouhan and Vihaan Malhotra. These youngsters, coming fresh off a successful U-19 campaign, offer the X-factor that often wins games from nowhere. Chouhan, in particular, is a versatile all-rounder who could be the breakout star of 2026.
• The impact player tactical edge: With a squad full of versatile all-rounders like Iyer and Krunal Pandya, RCB is better positioned than most to exploit the Impact Player rule, allowing them to switch between a batting-heavy or bowling-heavy XI based on the toss.

Threats:

• The weight of expectation: Being the hunted is harder than being the hunter. Every team will have a specific blueprint RCB strategy this year. Managing the psychological shift from being the team trying to win to the team expected to win will be Patidar’s biggest test.
• Chinnaswamy’s volatility: While it is their home, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium remains a graveyard for bowlers. One or two bad nights at home can quickly derail momentum in a league where the margin between the top four and the bottom four is razor-thin.

Also READ: Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium gets green light to host IPL 2026 opener and final

Malaysia’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup ended after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) awarded 3-0 forfeits in two matches for fielding ineligible players, a decision that confirmed Vietnam’s progress from Group F.The AFC said the action was taken after Malaysia used players who were not eligible during the final round of qualifiers. “The defendant fielded ineligible players in the relevant AFC Asian Cup 2027, (Qualifiers Final Round) matches,” the AFC said in a statement. The Kuala Lumpur-based body also fined the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) $50,000.With the forfeits applied, Vietnam now holds a six-point lead at the top of the group, making it impossible for Malaysia to catch up. The final group match between Vietnam and Malaysia on March 31 will no longer affect qualification.“Although the match no longer holds decisive significance for the final group standings, it is still expected to be a noteworthy contest,” Vietnam’s football federation said.The development follows an investigation by FIFA into Malaysia’s use of foreign-born players. The probe focused on a 4-0 win over Vietnam in June and a 2-0 victory against Nepal in March last year. Both results have now been overturned.FIFA found that the players had obtained naturalisation through forged documents and did not have Malaysian parentage or ancestry. According to the governing body, three players were originally from Argentina, two from Spain, one from the Netherlands and one from Brazil.The players involved are Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Joao Brandao Figueiredo.In its findings, FIFA’s appeals committee said the offence “strikes at the very foundation of football’s integrity”. It held both the players and FAM responsible, stating that the seven players “negligently used and benefitted from the forged documents” while FAM’s “inability to establish accountability reflects systemic governance deficiencies and a lack of genuine commitment”.

File photo: Argentina’s President Javier Milei (Picture credit: AP)

Argentina has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), its foreign minister announced on Tuesday, becoming the latest country to leave the UN health agency after the United States took the same step earlier this year.

Buenos Aires completes exit after earlier announcement

As per news agency AFP, the government of President Javier Milei had first announced its intention to quit the WHO a year ago, accusing the global body of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic.Argentina’s foreign ministry said the withdrawal process has now been completed within the timeframe required under international treaties.Foreign minister Pablo Quirno confirmed the move in a post on X, saying: “Argentina will continue to promote international cooperation in health through bilateral agreements and regional forums, while fully preserving its sovereignty and its capacity to make decisions regarding health policies.”

Milei government repeats criticism of WHO

The Milei administration has been sharply critical of the WHO’s role during the pandemic.Last year, Argentina had declared that “the WHO’s recommendations are ineffective because they are not based on science, but on political interests.”The formal withdrawal underlines President Milei’s hardening stance toward multilateral institutions and aligns Buenos Aires more closely with the policy direction taken by the United States under President Donald Trump.

Move mirrors US exit under Trump

Argentina’s decision follows the United States, which formalised its own withdrawal from the WHO in January.The US exit came a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pull Washington out of the UN health body after returning to the White House.Milei has been seen as a close ally of Trump, and Argentina’s move is likely to draw wider international attention because it mirrors Washington’s break with the Geneva-based organisation.

Why the WHO matters

The WHO has historically played a central role in major global public health campaigns, including the eradication of smallpox and responses to threats such as polio, HIV, Ebola and tuberculosis, according to AFP.WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had earlier expressed concern over the US withdrawal.In January, Tedros said he “deeply regretted” Washington’s exit and warned it would make both the United States and the rest of the world less safe.Argentina’s departure now raises fresh questions over the future of global health coordination, particularly as countries continue to debate sovereignty, science and the role of international institutions in responding to future pandemics.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday asserted that America does not require support from its allies as it continues military operations against Iran, declaring that the country is “by far the most powerful country anywhere in the world and they do not need the help of anyone!”In a post on Truth Social, Trump said several Nato allies had declined to participate in the US-led military campaign. “The United States has been informed by most of our Nato ‘allies’ that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” he wrote.“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” he added.The US President also claimed significant military success against Iran. “Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s military their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft and radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their leaders at virtually every level, are gone never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern allies, or the world, again!” He said that given these developments, US reliance on allies was no longer necessary. “Because of the fact that we have had such military success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the Nato Countries’ assistance, we never did! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the world, we do not need the help of anyone!”Trump’s remarks come amid visible strain in Washington’s relations with its allies, after several countries responded cautiously or declined his call to deploy warships to escort merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Health insurance has become a priority area for the government, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday, expressing hope that the country would achieve universal insurance coverage by 2033 as the sector expands its reach.Replying to supplementary queries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said the insurance industry had already made significant progress, covering 58 crore lives in 2024–25. “Health insurance is a priority for this government. In fact, we are hoping that by 2033 we will have insurance cover for all,” FM Sitharaman was quoted as saying by news agency PTI .She noted that the insurance market is growing steadily, with total health premium collections reaching Rs 1,17,505 crore in 2024–25. Public sector insurers accounted for health premiums of Rs 42,420 crore, while private insurers contributed Rs 37,752 crore and standalone health insurers Rs 37,331 crore.Highlighting structural challenges, the minister said India’s per capita insurance premium remains low at USD 97 compared with the global average of USD 943. “While penetration remains low, the government is actively bridging this gap through targeted reforms and affordability measures. Health insurance is now a clear priority with GST exemption on individual premiums, expansion of coverage and strong regulatory push driving the momentum,” she said.Sitharaman said the government had introduced a Bill in December 2025 to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance sector to deepen market penetration. She also referred to regulatory measures taken by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), including rules notified in 2024 on rural social sector and third-party obligations to expand insurance coverage in rural areas.She added that both private and public insurers are subject to systematic regulation by the insurance watchdog. “If there are any wrongdoings by insurance companies, the regulator acts upon them,” she said, noting that several companies had faced penalties in recent years for violations.“If there is undue influence by insurance companies using their dominant position, or when they make false and misleading claims, misrepresent facts, omit key features while selling insurance, or fail to ensure suitability of the policy, all such acts of omission and commission are acted upon,” Sitharaman said.Citing specific cases, she informed the House that a penalty of Rs 2 crore was imposed on Reliance General Insurance Company in 2023–24 for unfair business practices. Similar penalties were levied on Bajaj Finance Ltd (Rs 2 crore), HDFC Life Insurance (Rs 2 crore), SBI Life Insurance (Rs 1 crore) and Royal Sundaram General Insurance (Rs 1 crore).In a written reply, the minister said that in FY 2024–25 there were 251.85 lakh individual health insurance policies covering 6.01 crore people, along with 13.05 lakh group policies covering 27.51 crore members.She also highlighted the role of government schemes, stating that Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to about 12 crore families, representing the bottom 40 per cent of the population.