3 Kannada Players RCB Should Sign To Bolster Squad Ahead Of IPL 2026

Kannada players RCB should sign [Source: @iplt20.com]

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru were at their absolute best in the IPL 2025 season, as the Red Army finally captured their maiden title after 18 years of waiting. After the mega auction last year, the assembled squad was criticised, but RCB responded in style as they defeated the Punjab Kings to win the IPL championship.

Now, their focus shifts towards the next season, which is just eight months away, and the team still has a couple of areas for improvement ahead of the next season. RCB represents Bengaluru and deep down, the franchise has acquired quite a few Kannada players in recent players to keep everyone happy.

It is not a written law to buy Kannada players but RCB have made sure that they buy players who are born in Karnataka, to give it back to the state which has given them immense joy and love. Ahead of the next season, here are 3 Kannada players the team could sign to bolster their squad.

1) Prasidh Krishna

Why RCB should buy the GT pacer?

The chances of Prasidh Krishna coming into the mini auction is slim, considering that he was the best bowler of the tournament, last season. However, RCB are the defending champions, and they could still lure him into coming into the mini auction and fetch a huge chunk of money. 

If that doesn't work, the defending IPL champions could try to bring Krishna in a trade deal - either by including a player or by an all-cash deal. There is a reason why he is such a hot commodity in the IPL at the moment.

(Krishna stats in IPL 2025)

• As the stats suggests, he had a terrific IPL 2025, picking up 25 wickets and has become an improved T20 pacer. While RCB do have Josh Hazlewood as their premium pacer, Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were decent in the last season and the side needs an X-factor, which Krishna is.
• He is different from what RCB currently have. None of their Indian bowlers are hit the deck pacers and on spicy wickets, Krishna can run riot as he can take advantage of his big height to generate extra bounce.

2) Karun Nair

Why RCB needs Nair in the side?

Cricket has given Karun Nair one more chance to showcase his talent and he showed glimpses of his brilliance last season, especially against the Mumbai Indians when he almost single-handedly dismantled the famed MI bowling attack.

However, apart from that, there was not much to be seen but Nair could be a useful asset for the Royal Challengers in the upcoming season.

• Nair can be an excellent back-up for Devdutt Padikkal, who was the preferred first-choice player at the number 3 spot before the southpaw got ruled out.
• In the IPL 2025, Nair showed his aggressive side in the tournament as he went bonkers right from ball one and if RCB need an aggressive number 3 to complement Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, then Nair is the right choice as he has shown that he can be the aggressive batter which every IPL side requires.

3) Shreyas Gopal

While RCB had almost all the boxes ticked last season, there was one area where the team had a slight weakness, and that was the spin department. The side played Suyash Sharma in all the games and while the leg spinner was decent, he only took 8 wickets. This is where Shreyas Gopal comes into the frame as he is a genuine wicket-taker.

(Gopal stats in IPL)

Why RCB needs Gopal in their ranks?

• An excellent spinner: Gopal is a street-smart spinner and has the knack of picking wickets at regular intervals, something which RCB missed last season with Suyash. He is never afraid of tossing the ball up and has the ability deceive batters in flight.
• Can also chop in with the bat: In T20 cricket, having a batting depth is also crucial, and Gopal can hit a few out of the ground. Though he only has a strike-rate of 106, the batter has what it takes to give a few lusty blows to the opposition bowlers.

---

ALSO READ

Glenn Maxwell To CSK: Why This Move Makes The Perfect Sense For IPL 2026

---