The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) won their first WPL season in 2024. Since that season, RCB has established itself as a strong team, so to maintain that prestige, they are implementing a proper strategy for WPL 2026. Team formation is the strongest foundation of strategy, so RCB has retained some of their best players. They have retained their captain, Smriti Mandhana, and placed her at the center of focus. This WPL RCB retained players 2026 list has kept fans and experts alike excited about who RCB retains in their squad this time, which new young players they give a chance to, and whom they remove. Because if the team, led by Smriti M., is to win the title again, it will be essential to have players of that caliber in the team.
With the WPL Mega Auction set to take place on November 27, 2025, RCB has released a list of its best retained players. This demonstrates its confidence in its players and its futuristic, smart planning for the upcoming tournament.
WPL 2026 RCB Retention Rules and Guidelines
Retention is considered one of the strongest strategies in cricket because it helps every team build a strong foundation. However, the BCCI has introduced a significant update to the retention rules ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction. It clearly states that each team will be able to retain only five players, no more.
In addition to the maximum retention limit of five players, a condition has also been set in the WPL retention rules: out of every five retained players, three must be Indian capped players, and two will be reserved for overseas or uncapped players. Uncapped players are those who have not yet played a match for India, a type of freshers.
However, retaining players also poses a disadvantage for franchises. Each team is given an auction purse of approximately 15 crore rupees, from which the price of the retained players is deducted. This leaves the franchise with little money left for the mega auction.
So, retention depends on each team's own preferences. They can select retained players as per their own preferences.
WPL Team Retention Policy 2026
- Only up to 5 players can be retained.
- Out of the 5, 3 must be Indian capped players.
- The remaining 2 players must be overseas or new players.
WPL 2026 Retention Price Slabs and Rules
If a team retains all five players, it must arrange its price slabs in this manner. This is determined by BCCI rules governing how the prices of retained players are set. For example:
- 1st retained player: ₹3.5 crore
- 2nd retained player: ₹2.5 crore
- 3rd retained player: ₹1.75 crore
- 4th retained player: ₹1 crore
- 5th retained player: ₹50 lakh
Now, there's a condition where a team retains a maximum of four players and has no plans to retain a fifth. According to the rules, they have a special Right to Match (RTM) option, which they can use during the auction. A team can use RTM if another team bids for one of their released players at the auction and wants to acquire them at the same price point. In such a case, the former team can take back the player under RTM at the same price point.
This happens often, as it reveals the player's value to other teams. If the player is equally valuable to other teams, the former team takes back the player. This is a smart strategy.
RCB has retained four players this time around, especially in the WPL 2026. According to this, now they have one Right to Match (RTM) card and a purse of Rs 6.15 crore out of Rs 15 crore, with which they can buy any player they want in the mega auction.
RCB WPL 2026 Retained Players List – Complete Squad Overview
This is the WPL 2026 RCB retention list, which includes some retained players who are either core players or among the team's top performing players. With this selection, RCB has established itself as the strongest, most powerful contender for the upcoming WPL 2026. This retained player list has created a strongest mix of players based on different nationalities, roles, and price lists. The RCB retention list 2026 is as follows:
Star Retentions and Their Significance for RCB
In the WPL 2026 retention list, RCB has selected only those players who can prove to be game-changers for their team. The main motive behind this selection is that their selection should prove to be very beneficial for their team. Let's find out what qualities these four players possess that RCB did not consider replacing them.
👤Smriti Mandhana - She has been captaining RCB since the first season. Under her captaincy, RCB won the WPL title in 2024. This was RCB's first title in the Premier League format, and they won it in just the second season of the WPL. She is the backbone of the RCB team. Under her guidance, the team has consistently delivered top-level performances.
👤Richa Ghosh: She has always been a very important player for RCB, as she played key match-winning innings for RCB in 2023 and 2024. And when RCB won the title in 2024, her contribution in the finals was immense. She is a middle-order stabilizer, explosive finisher, and wicketkeeper. Smriti and Richa share a strong on-field bond, a major plus for RCB.
👤Ellyse Perry: She is one of RCB's trusted overseas players. She plays the role of both anchor and finisher for the team. Her batting is quite calm, yet equally powerful. If the top-order players are unable to handle the situation, she has the ability to come in at the 3rd or 4th position and manage the entire match. In 2024, she played almost 40+ crucial knocks, which played a huge role in the victory. She excels in all three - batting, bowling, and leadership; overall, she is a complete combination player.
👤Shreyanka Patil: Very young but a powerful player. The way he set the pitch on fire with both his bowling and batting in 2024 is still remembered by fans. His off-spin bowling and big hitting in the lower order are his strengths. He is a future star player, so for RCB, investing in such players right now reflects their vision to build a strong new squad for the future.
This combination of experienced players and young players in RCB retention reflects their expertise, energy and freshness. This selection is sure to build a strong core for RCB to win the title. It is going to be a big challenge for other teams.
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