IPL 2026: 5 Players RCB should target in mini auction

Royal Challengers Bengaluru head into the IPL 2026 mini-auction seeking balance. They are the reigning champions and do have a fantastic squad, but adding another reliable middle-order batter who can also finish, an overseas bat who accelerates from ball one, an extra seam option with bounce, and a utility player who fills multiple roles won’t hurt. Here are five realistic targets that check those boxes — and why RCB should be aggressive for them.

1. Cameron Green 

Green is a genuine batting all-rounder: a big-bodied top-order batter who can play long innings and also provide some overs of seam at pace when required. His record across formats shows a temperament and shot range that translate to IPL powerplay and middle-overs roles, while his height and strength create natural power through the off-side. 

If fit and managed carefully, Green gives RCB a high-upside No.3 who also brings useful seam options and an extra seam bowling plan when injuries strike.

2. Anrich Nortje 

RCB have often flirted with raw pace but haven’t consistently held a seam partner who can regularly bowl 145–155 km/h. Nortje is the prototypical match-winner with the new ball. He brings toe-crushing pace, accurate bouncers and true yorkers, the kind of skills that make early breakthroughs likely and force oppositions back on their heels. 

In 20-over cricket, a strike bowler who can take wickets up front changes bowling plans and eases pressure on the slower options in the middle. Nortje’s experience and pace make him a perfect pick for any side that wants to unsettle top-order hitters.

3. Simarjeet Singh 

A domestic quick who’s built his case with skiddy pace and control in Indian conditions, Simarjeet is the kind of pick RCB can use as a low-cost developmental option. He’s shown the ability to bowl effectively in the nets and domestic circuit, bringing slippery pace and early-overs rhythm that often troubles white-ball batters on subcontinent surfaces. 

For RCB, signing an Indian pacer with room to grow is smart roster management. He can cover the early overs or be a third seamer when overs are short. Having a dependable pacer in the banks can help RCB for the long season.

4. Ravi Bishnoi

Quality leg-spin is a trump card in the IPL. Bishnoi has already shown he can pick wickets in pressure overs and build dot-ball pressure with variations. At a young age, he offers control, a disguised googly and proven wicket-taking ability in domestic and international white-ball cricket. 

For RCB, who have often looked for the ideal wrist-spin partner to complement their off-spin or left-arm options, Bishnoi is a textbook buy: penetrative through the middle overs and difficult for batters to premeditate against. Suyash was effective for them last season; however, being costly on many occasions as well. So, he can come in well as a replacement.

5. Rahul Tewatia

If RCB want an Indian all-rounder who won’t eat an overseas slot, Tewatia makes a lot of sense. He brings a proven ability to accelerate late and the rarer bonus of leg-spin variations that can be useful in middle overs. 

Tewatia’s history of game-changing cameos and his value as a domestic finisher make him an auction target that teams can rely on for high-pressure scenarios. For RCB, he gives local finishing depth and spin variety without messing with overseas composition. He can complement Tim David well in the middle and finish games for the team.

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