RCB won its maiden title in IPL 2025. Credits - afp.com
Year 2025 was the year of first as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won its maiden IPL title, breaking an 18-year-long jinx. The Rajat Patidar-led side had an unbelievable season, eventually winning the silverware by beating the Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad.
After that, in the mini-auction before IPL 2026, they made only a few tweaks to their ageing squad. Last year, RCB had several experienced players, meaning many of them were in the twilight of the careers.
Ahead of the IPL 2026, let us look at three players from RCB’s squad who might retire after this season.
RCB players who can take IPL retirement after 2026
Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood, or HazleGod as the RCB fans say, has been struggling with injuries since November last year. So it is the case that the Aussie pace had to miss the Ashes and the T20 World Cup due to his hamstring and Achilles injuries.
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Although Hazlewood has landed in India and joined the RCB camp, there is still uncertainty over whether he will play the first game of the season or not. At 35, he is certainly in the twilight of his career, and IPL 2026 could be his last in the league, as he would want to prolong his career as a three-format player for Australia.
Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya is synonymous with the term clutch player in the IPL. The prolific all-rounder had won three championships with the Mumbai Indians before switching to Lucknow Super Giants, before finding a sweet home in Bengaluru. Last season, as RCB won the IPL trophy, Krunal played a major role.
At 35, the Baroda-based all-rounder has seen a dip in form, especially in his bowling. And if he has a poor run in the IPL 2026, he can get easily swapped with Swapnil Singh, meaning he is one of the contenders of RCB players who can take IPL retirement after 2026. Having said that, Krunal is still exceptionally fit, which translates to his gun fielding.
Virat Kohli
The last and least on the list is Virat Kohli. The leading run-getter of the tournament, VK, is still fit and hungry for runs. However, his long-standing dream of winning an IPL trophy was realised last year, so his motivation might wane.
Kohli has already retired from two formats and only plays the ODI format for India. Considering that his sole motivation is just the forthcoming ODI World Cup in 2027, he might hang up his boots from the IPL after the IPL 2026 season.
Despite Kohli being 37 years old, he is still more fit than anyone else in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru camp. However, RCB’s latest acquisition by the Aditya Birla Group-led consortium might bring curtains down for the Virat Kohli-Bengaluru fairytale.
Nevertheless, RCB will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru this Saturday (March 28).
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