RCB WPL 2026 Retention Overview
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), champions of the 2024 WPL, have confirmed their player retention list ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction, placing their trust in key contributors from their title-winning squad.
Retained Players
- Smriti Mandhana (Captain) – Led RCB to their first WPL title and remains the backbone of the batting lineup. Mandhana was also India's highest run-scorer in the 2025 ICC Women's ODI World Cup, retained for ₹3.50 crore.
- Ellyse Perry – Veteran Australian all-rounder retained for ₹2 crore.
- Richa Ghosh – Wicketkeeper-batter retained for ₹2.75 crore.
- Shreyanka Patil – Indian spinner and top wicket-taker in WPL 2024 with 13 wickets in eight matches, retained for ₹60 lakh.
Financial Details
The franchise has allocated ₹8.85 crore for these retentions and will enter the WPL 2026 auction with ₹6.15 crore remaining in their purse. RCB also holds one Right to Match (RTM) card to use during the auction.
Released Players
To rebuild for the next cycle, RCB released several notable players, including Indian talents Sabbhineni Meghana, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Kanika Ahuja, Asha Sobhana, and Ekta Bisht.
"Mandhana remains RCB's most expensive player, retained for ₹3.50 crore."
Author's summary: RCB strategically retained four key players from their championship squad while releasing others to refresh their roster, preparing smartly for the WPL 2026 mega auction.