IPL 2026: 3 RCB Players Who Could Be Traded Before the IPL Auction
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had an amazing season in the 2025 Indian Premier League, finally ending their 18-year wait for a trophy by winning the final. Under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, the team performed consistently, winning nine games in the league stage before beating Punjab Kings in the final.
Several players made important contributions, but two really stood out. Virat Kohli was in top form, scoring 657 runs in 15 matches at a quick strike rate of 144.71. On the bowling side, Josh Hazlewood was outstanding, taking 22 wickets in 12 games while keeping things tight with an economy of 8.77.
Lungi Ngid
Lungi Ngidi joined RCB at the mega auction for his base price of INR 1 crore. The South African was making his IPL comeback after missing the tournament since 2021, so expectations were high.
In RCB’s narrow two-run win over CSK, Ngidi proved his worth, bowling four tidy overs and taking 3 wickets for just 30 runs, making him the most economical bowler in the match. But like Bethell, he played only two matches after which national commitments meant he had to travel to England for the 2023-25 World Test Championship final against Australia.
He was replaced by Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani. However, RCB could look to release Ngidi and bring in a like-for-like replacement.
Rasikh Salam
Before joining RCB for INR 6 crore at the auction, Rasikh Salam had played for three other teams. Like Bethell and Ngidi, he played only two matches. He didn’t make much impact and wasn’t picked later in the season. Delhi Capitals, Rasikh's franchise before RCB, had applied the Right To Match option for him during the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025.
They clearly wanted him to remain a part of DC. However, RCB had the final say. The 2025 champions could probably have an agreement with DC and perform a trade deal in which Rasikh goes to DC and RCB bring in a pacer from DC.
Jacob Bethell
RCB bought Jacob Bethell in the 2025 mega auction for INR 2.6 crore. He had recently started playing for England in white-ball cricket and was known for his all-round skills.
But he played only a few matches for RCB before leaving to play for England in their series against the West Indies, which happened at the same time as the playoffs. Bethell scored a quick fifty in one of the matches at home against Chennai Super Kings.
However, his left-arm spin was not utilised. While Bethell is a solid option and there is no doubt on his abilities, RCB could plan to trade him for a more established spin-bowling all-rounder.
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