3 RCB players who may not be retained ahead of IPL 2027 Auction

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru head into the IPL 2027 retention window as back-to-back champions, having lifted the trophy in both 2025 and 2026. Their settled squad and consecutive title wins mean large-scale changes are unlikely before the mini-auction scheduled in Goa on December 16, 2026.

All franchises must submit their retention and release lists to the BCCI by November 15, 2026. As of November 13, 2026, no official RCB list has been made public. However, a few players look vulnerable given the depth RCB have built across their bowling departments.

3. Swapnil Singh

Swapnil Singh, the 35-year-old slow left-arm orthodox bowler from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, has been part of RCB's squad since 2024. He was retained via the RTM card at INR 50 lakh ahead of IPL 2025 and carried the same price tag into IPL 2026. However, RCB's spin department is well stocked, and Krunal Pandya leads that group.

Younger spinners such as Suyash Sharma, Vicky Ostwal, Kanish Chouhan, and Satvik Deswal are all in the squad, making Swapnil's position as a backup option harder to justify at the auction table. With so many left-arm and wrist-spin alternatives on hand, RCB may decide to free up his slot and use the funds elsewhere. Swapnil has played 96 T20 matches across his career, picking up 83 wickets at an average of 24.61, with a best of 6/19.

2. Abhinandan Singh

Abhinandan Singh, the right-arm fast-medium bowler born on March 30, 1997, made his IPL debut during the 2026 season at a squad price of ₹30 lakh. He featured in three matches but managed only three wickets, finishing with a bowling average of 40.67 and an economy rate of 12.62.

Those numbers were not enough to secure a regular spot in the playing XI. RCB could look to move on from Abhinandan and instead target a younger pace prospect who impresses in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before the auction window opens.

1. Richard Gleeson

Richard Gleeson joined RCB's 2026 squad as a mid-season replacement for Nuwan Thushara, who was unable to participate without an NOC, and was contracted at ₹1.6 crore. Josh Hazlewood leads RCB's pace attack, with Jacob Duffy serving as his primary backup. However, Cricket Australia may limit Hazlewood's IPL availability in 2027 given the Ashes and the ODI World Cup scheduled later that year, which could open the door for Duffy.

Thushara himself remains a pace option who could return to that group. With Hazlewood, Duffy, and Thushara all ahead of him in the pecking order, Gleeson's path to regular game time at RCB looks narrow, and his replacement-only contract from 2026 does not carry automatic retention rights into 2027.