Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to put their best foot forward in their title defence at the auction on October 28. Ahead of the event, the defending champions have retained 13 players. They will enter the auction with a purse of ₹1.15 crore.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s squad ahead of WPL 2027 auction
Batters: Smriti Mandhana, Georgia Voll ✈️
Wicketkeepers: Richa Ghosh, Prathyoosha Kumar
All-rounders: Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Pooja Vastrakar, Ellyse Perry ✈️, Nadine de Klerk ✈️
Bowlers: Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Prema Rawat, Lauren Bell ✈️
They have released four players: Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Dayalan Hemalatha, and Linsey Smith.
The auction will give them a chance to take on board five players, including up to two overseas recruits.
SWOT: Continuity is strength
A dynasty is built on continuity. We have ample evidence of that from franchise cricket around the world. In the IPL, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings give us first-hand examples of how continuity can make a team look invincible. When it comes to the WPL, RCB have themselves demonstrated the value of continuity.
The greatest strength of the two-time champions is their settled core. One opening spot looks sorted with Smriti Mandhana. She amassed 377 runs in the last edition and was their highest run-scorer.
Georgia Voll played a crucial role for them at number three. She made 170 runs in six games and provided solidity with dynamism beneath the opening pair. Voll is accustomed to opening and can take on the responsibility with Harris’s release. Richa Ghosh can play the role of a floater; her strike rate of 151.20 in WPL 2026 provided them with crucial momentum in high-pressure situations.
The return of Ellyse Perry will provide the biggest boost. She pulled out of the last edition due to personal reasons. The Australian can be the stabiliser at number three, and her experience will be invaluable for the team. The likes of Nadine de Klerk, Lauren Bell and Shreyanka Patil provide formidable strength to the bowling.
The biggest gap that can be addressed in the auction appears to be in the batting order. Beyond Mandhana, Perry, Voll and Ghosh, RCB look dependent on bowling all-rounders. This provides considerable scope for the recruitment of an Indian middle-order batter, who can bat at number 4 or 5 without altering the overseas balance. The temptation RCB must resist is to recruit an overseas player by spending the majority of their available purse.
Priority one: An Indian batter who changes the XI
Tejal Hasabnis is the best positional fit for RCB. She will be available at a base price of ₹30 lakh. Hasabnis scored an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls in the 2026 Rising Stars Asia Cup final after India A slipped to 44/4. Her partnership with Radha Yadav helped the side rebuild from a precarious position. So she provides them with solidity if a collapse triggers, at least she has shown the ability to do so.
RCB should target Hasabnis at a price of ₹30-35 lakh, but stop bidding if the price exceeds ₹40 lakh. If she exceeds the allocated budget, Vrinda Dinesh could be a great fallback option. Her ₹10 lakh base price will give RCB greater financial flexibility. Dinesh scored 316 runs in the 2025-26 Senior Women’s T20 Trophy and hence could be a dependable presence in the RCB middle order, even though she is naturally a top-order batter. In fact, Dinesh’s presence might allow RCB greater tactical flexibility in the XI, enabling them to deploy Voll, Perry, and Ghosh more strategically depending on match situations.
Besides Dinesh, another economical fallback could be former RCB batter Gautami Naik. Of her 86 WPL runs, 73 came in one innings, demonstrating her ability when she is on song. At a ₹10 lakh base price, Naik’s services might be available at around ₹15-20 lakh if the demand remains subdued.
Priority two: Aussie Powerplay option
Grace Harris provided RCB with explosive starts in a couple of matches during the 2026 edition. She is renowned for her power-hitting and her ability to dominate when the field restrictions are in place. The Australian will enter at a base price of ₹30 lakh, and RCB can contemplate a reunion. However, ₹40 lakh should be the ceiling in this case; otherwise, she will be eating into the budget earmarked for Indian recruitment.
If Harris becomes too expensive, RCB can pursue players like Tess Flintoff or Charli Knott. They are lower-cost overseas all-round alternatives, but the defending champions should not push beyond ₹20-25 lakh for either. Neither Flintoff nor Knott would be a like-for-like replacement for Harris, but their presence can allow greater dynamism in selection.
The three supporting purchases
Gongadi Trisha, who will be available at a base price of ₹10 lakh, could be a promising developmental prospect and future asset. In the 2025 Under-19 World Cup, she scored 309 runs and also picked up nine wickets. Even if she sits out of the XI this season, Trisha could give them a significant tactical advantage with her top-order abilities and part-time spin in the future. Poonam Khemnar, an experienced all-rounder, could also be an option at ₹10 lakh if Trisha’s price rises beyond ₹20 lakh.
Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce, at a ₹10 lakh base price, could be a shrewd tactical acquisition. If the WPL’s Associate-nation exception is retained, Bryce can come in as the fifth overseas player and provide depth in both batting and bowling. If Bryce goes beyond ₹15 lakh, RCB can turn to alternatives like Esha Oza of the UAE or Darcey Carter of Scotland.
Finally, RCB can allocate ₹10-15 lakh for Indian bowling cover. There are some intriguing options. Shabnam Shakil offers pace, while Parunika Sisodia can add depth to the spin department. Both could be valuable acquisitions at the ₹10 lakh base price. If they manage to save money from the other purchases, RCB can also consider someone like Titas Sadhu, whose base price in the auction is ₹30 lakh.
The bidding rule
If everything falls into place, RCB can allocate ₹35 lakh for Hasabnis, ₹35 lakh for Harris, ₹15 lakh for Trisha, ₹10 lakh for Bryce and ₹10 lakh for a domestic bowler, while leaving ₹10 lakh as a cushion. However, auctions seldom follow a predetermined course. So, RCB management might have to establish an internal rule against spending marquee money on an overseas player who ultimately sits out the XI.
They are a champion side, and most of the ingredients for another successful run are already present in their squad. The best auction strategy would be one that addresses the weak links and provides the foundation for their pursuit of a third title.