Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2026 Squad, Results & Stats

Royal Challengers Bengaluru is a Bengaluru-based men's Twenty20 franchise owned by Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited. It competes in the Indian Premier League. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru women's team plays in the WPL and is kept separate here so squads and records are not mixed.

RCB finished first in the IPL 2026 league table with nine wins, five losses, 18 points and a net run rate of +0.783. It defeated Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1, then beat the same opponent by five wickets in the final to retain the title and finish 11–5 across 16 matches.

Rajat Patidar captained the back-to-back champions and Andy Flower remained head coach. Virat Kohli led the batting with 675 runs, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a team-high 28 wickets, and Krunal Pandya contributed 226 runs and 14 wickets.

No. RCB and Gujarat Titans both finished with nine wins, five losses and 18 points. RCB ranked first because its +0.783 net run rate was higher than Gujarat's +0.695.

This was a genuine NRR tiebreak, unlike qualification boundaries where teams finish on different points. The first-place label belongs to the 14-match league table; the championship was then decided in the playoffs.

No. RCB went 4-1 across five matches at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and won both designated home games in Raipur, producing a combined 6-1 home record.

The only home defeat came against Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru. RCB then beat Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur, so the strong home conversion survived the venue switch.

No. RCB split its two league meetings with Gujarat, then beat GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 and by five wickets in the final. Across all four meetings, Bengaluru finished 3-1.

The sequence shows why a league head-to-head is not a playoff forecast. Gujarat bowled RCB out for 155 in Ahmedabad on 30 April, but RCB responded with two different knockout wins.

No. Qualifier 1 was a 92-run defence after RCB made 254/5, the highest team total in an IPL playoff. The final was a chase: RCB restricted Gujarat to 155/8 and reached 161/5 with two overs remaining.

The advanced lesson is adaptability across match states. One knockout was settled by scoreboard pressure after a record total; the title match required control with the ball and a measured chase.

No. Back-to-back refers to winning the 2025 and 2026 IPL titles in consecutive seasons. RCB still lost five league matches in 2026 before winning both playoffs and became the third franchise to retain the IPL crown.

Championship continuity and an unbeaten season are different claims. The 2026 title came from finishing in the top two, winning Qualifier 1 and then winning the final—not from avoiding every defeat.