3 Royal Challengers Bengaluru players who might be benched in IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) enter into the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as defending champions after dominating throughout the previous year and beating the Punjab Kings in the final by six runs. They now have to play with a more responsible approach and mindset in order to defend their maiden title, which they got the hold of after a long wait of eighteen seasons. 

They looked quite active in the auction, filling in minor squad holes and signing reliable backups in key areas. With a packed squad, there might be a few names that may have to sit out for the season if the Rajat Patidar-led unit intends to build a winning combination.

Here are 3 RCB players that could be benched for whole IPL 2026

3) Jordan Cox

The English wicketkeeper-batter was picked up for base price in the auction as a reliable backup for Phil Salt. Jordan Cox has established a reputation of being a fierce ball striker, with an aggressive style for batting. He led the run-scoring charts in the 2025 Men’s Hundred, helping Oval Invincibles (now MI London) to their third triumph. Apart from value with the bat, he adds great skill behind the stumps and is also a gun fielder.

Cox is obviously the like-for-like backup for Salt, but with Jitesh Sharma already in the squad, his services as a wicketkeeper may not be necessary. And as a pure batter, his direct competition comes from the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Venkatesh Iyer and English hotshot Jacob Bethell, who all have the added advantage of being left-handers.