Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as the defending champions> Rajat Patidar and his side then left the campaign as the two-time IPL winners after beating the Gujarat Titans in the finals. Team director Mo Bobat has sounded the warning to other teams as he stated his intent to become the first side to win the title thrice in succession. 

With the IPL 2027 auction still some time away, RCB's auction strategy could see the side make a few key changes. Virat Kohli will be the first of the names that will be featured on the team’s retention list. Players like Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Krunal Pandya will be certainties to continue their stint at the Bengaluru-based franchise. 

There would be a few players who would be fretting about their future with the side and may not figure in the Bengaluru franchise decisions heading into the new season. Despite winning the title, the two-time IPL team overhaul could very well see some star names being released. 

Here are the three names that RCB could release ahead of IPL 2027 auctions 

Suyash Sharma 

The talented leg-spinner was purchased in the 2025 auctions after Suyash Sharma spent two seasons with the Kolkata Knight Riders. The right-arm spinner was also part of the KKR squad that won the title in 2024. Since his move to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suyash has played 26 games and picked just 17 wickets. Such returns could see the spinner on the chopping block, and the team may decide to go for some other spinner who could do well in the middle-overs. 

Yash Dayal 

Left-arm seamer Yash Dayal was a key member for RCB with the ball during their first title win in 2025. Post that, the pacer from Uttar Pradesh has found himself embroiled in off-field troubles, which saw the player miss the 2026 season altogether. Mo Bobat had said that the player was still in the books, and the team didn’t seek a replacement either. Dayal’s stint at Bengaluru could end as the team could seek a new left-arm seamer ahead of the next season. 

Jacob Bethell 

One big-name player who may not find himself in the RCB retention list is none other than Jacob Bethell. The Englishman scored a blistering ton in the T20 World Cup semi-finals against India. Phil Salt’s amazing start with the bat meant that Bethell was benched for the earlier part of the 2026 season. This led to calls from England for the player to come back home due to a lack of playing time. Bethell finally got his chance when Salt got injured and managed to score just 96 runs from seven games, before the player too got injured. RCB could release the player, considering they have Salt and Venkatesh Iyer as openers for the coming season, and potentially invest their money in a cheaper Indian domestic player as an option.