Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Romario Shepherd celebrates with Virat Kohli during IPL match. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season will start on March 28. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has reached the IPL final four times (2009, 2011, 2016, 2025) and returned home with the trophy only once- in 2025.
After 18 years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden title.
However, the celebrations following the historic victory were overshadowed by a tragic stampede in Bengaluru. During a large public celebration near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a sudden crowd surge triggered a stampede, leading to 11 deaths
Known for their strong batting line-up, RCB has qualified for the IPL playoffs about 10 times since the league began. RCB has featured legendary players such as Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle.
Captain: Rajat Patidar
Head coach: Andy Flower
Batting coach: Dinesh Karthik
Bowling coach: Omkar Salvi
Spin bowling coach: Malolan Rangarajan
Assistant coach: Richard Halsall
Physiotherapist: Evan Speechly
Team doctor: Dr Shikha Dhaundiyal
Full squad: Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jordan Cox, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Jacob Duffy, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Phil Salt, Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra
Full schedule for RCB
March 28: Sunrisers Hyderabad at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru-7:30 PM IST
April 5: Chennai Super Kings at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru-7:30 PM IST
April 10: Rajasthan Royals at ACA Stadium, Barsapara (Guwahati)-7:30 PM IST
April 12: Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai 7:30 PM IST
Published – March 23, 2026 04:15 pm IST
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