Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have a settled unit. The reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions have already assembled a winning side. At most, they have to make slight changes. Resting players due to conditions, pitch, injury, or managing workloads.
At the IPL 2026 auction, RCB managed to acquire backups for injury-prone players or weak links. Josh Hazlewood missed a few matches last season, so they got New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy. For Phil Salt, they got English wicketkeeper batter Jordan Cox. They acquired Mangesh Yadav, who might play if Yash Dayal can’t.
RCB’s No. 3 conundrum
But one spot that might be up for grabs could be the number three. Devdutt Padikkal batted there last season. The southpaw from Karnataka upped his intent, with a strike rate of 150.60. Injury ended what was turning out to be a successful outing. But Padikkal showcased what he can do.
RCB retained him. But at the auction, the reigning champions acquired Venkatesh Iyer for INR 7 crore. The all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh had an underwhelming IPL 2025 season with the Kolkata Knight Riders but has an exceptional record at number, with an average of 43.23 and a strike rate of 168.77.
Cricket 26 seconds Exclusive | ‘Wasn’t expecting that call’ – Devdutt Padikkal on last-minute IND vs NZ selection after Rishabh Pant injuryIs Devdutt Padikkal worried about a spot in RCB’s XI?
This creates a conundrum for RCB. Do you pick a proven player in Padikkal or someone new in Venkatesh? Has the management conveyed any messages to either of them? Do they feel they are fighting for the same spot? InsideSport asked Devdutt Padikkal the same question in an exclusive conversation.
The 25-year-old didn’t refute the idea that he and Venkatesh might be fighting for the same spot. But his outlook’s a bit different. Padikkal doesn’t want to focus on securing a place in the Playing XI but hopes both he and Venkatesh are playing to contribute and win matches for RCB.
“If you are playing in the IPL, you are bound to have competition. Venky’s a great player. I have played a lot of matches with him and against him. I’m looking forward to having him in the side. Hopefully, both of us can contribute to the team’s success,” Padikkal told InsideSport.
RCB squad for IPL 2026
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Jordon Cox (wk), Kanishk Chouhan, Vihaan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal
Exclusive | ‘Bound to have competition’ – Devdutt Padikkal on fighting Venkatesh Iyer for a spot in RCB’s XI Inside Sport India.
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