The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), being the defending champions for the 2025 season, will enter the auction for IPL 2026 with the heft of expectation. However, to maintain squad balance and improve overall depth, some players with performance or value-level expectations might have to be let go. Releasing them would earn them more than ₹15 crore, giving space for smart reinforcements.
1. Liam Livingstone – ₹8.75 Crore
Liam Livingstone arrived at RCB ahead of the 2025 season with high expectations and a hefty price tag of ₹8.75 crore. The England all-rounder was seen as a potential game-changer, and he did show early promise scoring 79 runs in his first three innings at an impressive strike rate of 146.3. However, his form soon took a sharp dip. In his next five outings, he could manage only 33 runs, with his batting average plummeting to just 6.6 and his strike rate dropping to 110.
His contribution with the ball was equally underwhelming. Across the entire season, Livingstone bowled just 9 overs and picked up only 2 wickets, failing to make any real impact in the all-rounder role he was expected to own.
Considering his price and overall performance, RCB may find it more strategic to release him ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The ₹8.75 crore saved could be better utilized to bring in a more consistent and dependable player who fits their evolving squad needs.
2. Rasikh Salam – ₹6 Crore
Rasikh Salam’s 2025 season with RCB could best be described as a blink-and-miss affair. The 25-year-old pacer barely got a look-in, playing just two matches and picking up a solitary wicket not exactly the kind of fireworks you’d expect from a ₹6 crore signing.
Unfortunately for Rasikh, team dynamics didn’t help his case either. With Yash Dayal stepping up and delivering the goods with the ball, Rasikh was left warming the bench more often than not. In a squad full of pace options, he quietly slipped out of the playing XI conversation like a WhatsApp message left on “read.”
Considering his limited appearances and near-zero impact, RCB might just hit the release button on him ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. That ₹6 crore could be better spent on someone who actually gets to bowl more than two overs a season or at least breaks a sweat on the field.
3. Swapnil Singh – ₹50 Lakh
Swapnil Singh, the veteran left-arm spinner, had a front-row seat to RCB’s 2025 campaign but unfortunately, only from the dugout. After featuring in 7 matches during the 2024 season, he didn’t get a single game this time around. In a team full of fresh faces and dynamic all-rounders, Swapnil’s role quietly faded into the background like an old WhatsApp group chat.
To make matters tougher, Krunal Pandya’s emergence as a reliable spin-bowling all-rounder meant that the spot Swapnil might’ve hoped for was already taken and taken well. At 34, with no real signs of a second wind in his IPL career, the writing seems to be on the wall.
While his ₹50 lakh price tag won’t shake up RCB’s purse strings much, releasing Swapnil could still be a logical step. It frees up a roster slot for a younger, more dynamic option preferably someone who sees the field more than just during warm-ups.
Total Purse That Could Be Freed
- Liam Livingstone: ₹8.75 crore
- Rasikh Salam: ₹6 crore
- Swapnil Singh: ₹0.50 crore
- Total: ₹15.25 crore
Conclusion
RCB may need to make tough decisions ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Releasing underperforming or surplus players like Livingstone, Rasikh, and Swapnil could free up over ₹15 crore enough to target match-winning talent and further strengthen their championship-winning squad.
Written by RITESH SINGH
