Royal Challengers Bengaluru came into IPL 2026 as the defending champions, and honestly, the pressure that comes with that tag is real. Every result gets picked apart. Every selection gets questioned. And right now, a few things in their playing 11 are not working the way the team management would have hoped.

The core of the squad is solid. Kohli, Patidar, Tim David, Krunal, Hazlewood — these are match-winners on any given day. But cricket at this level is about details, and a few tweaks in personnel and tactics could make a big difference in the matches still to come.

Here are five changes that RCB should seriously consider — and why each one makes sense. RCB needs to rethink their playing 11 for the rest of IPL 2026. Here are 5 key changes — including Jordan Cox for Bethell and Duffy for Shepherd — that could help them finish strong and make the playoffs.

5 Tactical Changes RCB Need To Save Their IPL 2026 Campaign

Change 1: Jordan Cox Should Replace Jacob Bethell at the Top

This one has been coming for a while. Jacob Bethell was brought in as Phil Salt’s replacement, and while he is a talented cricketer, the numbers in this tournament just have not added up. Three matches, 39 runs, and a strike rate that does not match what RCB need from their opener — that is simply not good enough at this stage.

Jordan Cox, on the other hand, is a different kind of player. The England keeper-batter averaged around 61 with a strike rate close to 174 in The Hundred last season. Those numbers tell you he can hit from ball one and keep the scoreboard moving. He also solves the wicketkeeping role, giving RCB a bit more flexibility in how they balance the side.

Opening with Virat Kohli, Cox could give RCB the flying start they have been missing. Kohli anchors, Cox attacks — it is a combination that could work really well.

Change 2: Use Rasikh Salam as the Fielding Impact Substitute

The impact player rule has changed the way T20 cricket is being played, and RCB need to use it smarter. Right now, there is a real opportunity to bring Rasikh Salam into the game as a fielding impact sub during the middle overs, and it is a call RCB should be making more consistently.

Rasikh gives RCB that extra bowling option between overs 7 and 15 — a phase where partnerships are built and where wickets can change the entire complexion of a match. He is the kind of bowler who can break a set batter out of nowhere, and using him tactically in high-spin-risk venues makes a lot of sense.

With Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood, and Duffy already doing the heavy lifting, Rasikh as a surprise bowling impact sub could be exactly what RCB need to keep opposition batters guessing.

Change 3: Rest Jitesh Sharma, Give Venkatesh Iyer the Chance He Deserves

Jitesh Sharma was brought in as a power-hitter for the lower middle order, and nobody doubts his ability. But form is a real thing in cricket, and right now he is simply not delivering in the moments that matter. When a finisher keeps leaving the crease with the job half done, at some point you have to try something different.

Venkatesh Iyer is the man RCB should be turning to. He brings so much more than just a big bat. He is a left-hander in a right-hand-heavy lineup, he can bowl part-time spin to keep things tight in the middle overs, and he has the temperament to bat at number 5 with real authority.

Slotting in between Patidar and Tim David, Venkatesh could be the glue that holds RCB’s middle order together. Think of him as the pivot — the player who steadies things when wickets fall early and then shifts gears when the powerplay is done.

Change 4: Keep Devdutt Padikkal Ready as the Batting Impact Substitute

Devdutt Padikkal is still very much in RCB’s plans, and rightly so. He plays at number 3 in the suggested lineup, but there is also value in using him as a batting impact sub when the situation calls for it.

Say one of Kohli or Cox falls cheaply in the powerplay — that is exactly when Padikkal can come in and stabilise things. He has a lovely technique against spin, he can play the scoop and reverse sweep, and he is the sort of batter who does not panic when the asking rate climbs.

By keeping him in the impact sub conversation, RCB give themselves a genuine safety net at the top of the order without changing the balance of the core XI. That is smart cricket.

Change 5: Drop Romario Shepherd, Bring Jacob Duffy in as the Specialist Bowler

Romario Shepherd is an exciting cricketer — he can hit sixes and he can bowl quick. But in IPL 2026, he has not been consistent enough at either. When you are playing matches where every run in overs 18 to 20 can decide whether you make the playoffs or go home, you cannot afford to gamble on a bowler who is leaking runs in the death.

Jacob Duffy is a specialist. He comes in, he targets the stumps, he varies his lengths, and he keeps things tight when the batters are trying to go big. That is exactly what RCB need at the death — a bowler who gives the captain confidence to hand him the ball in the final few overs.

With Hazlewood already being excellent and Bhuvneshwar doing his job at the start, Duffy as the third pace option in the death makes this attack look genuinely complete.

The Suggested Playing 11

1. Jordan Cox (WK)

2. Virat Kohli

3. Devdutt Padikkal

4. Rajat Patidar (C)

5. Venkatesh Iyer

6. Tim David

7. Krunal Pandya

8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

9. Suyash Sharma

10. Josh Hazlewood

11. Jacob Duffy

Impact Sub (Fielding): Rasikh Salam | Impact Sub (Batting): Devdutt Padikkal (if needed)

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RCB does not need to blow up their squad. The bones are good. Kohli is still Kohli, Patidar is a calm leader, and the bowling attack has genuine match-winners. What they need right now is some sharper thinking around selection — a few brave calls that the data and the situation both support.

Jordan Cox gives them a fresher, more explosive opening partnership. Venkatesh Iyer adds balance and depth to the middle order. Jacob Duffy gives the captain a reliable option at the death. And using Rasikh and Padikkal smartly through the impact sub rule shows opponents that RCB have options — and that they know how to use them.

Defending a title is harder than winning one. But with the right XI and the right tactics, RCB have everything they need to go all the way again.