In the electrifying world of women’s cricket, few franchises embody resilience quite like Royal Challengers Bengaluru. From the heartbreak of a 4th-place finish in the inaugural edition, to the euphoric eight-wicket demolition of Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals in the 2024 final on March 17, RCB shattered a 17-year title drought at the franchise level.
That triumph, sealed at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, not only etched Smriti Mandhana’s name in lore but paved the way for the men’s IPL side’s own breakthrough under Rajat Patidar in 2025. A fourth-place stumble in 2025 couldn’t dim their fire, and now, as the 4th edition of the Women’s Premier League ignites from January 9 to February 5, 2026, split between DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, RCB eyes a repeat of their 2024 campaign under new head coach Malolan Rangarajan.
Ahead of the mega auction, RCB locked in a powerhouse core: skipper Smriti Mandhana (₹3.50 crore), wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh (₹2.75 crore), Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry (₹2 crore), and off-spinner Shreyanka Patil (₹60 lakhs), blending explosive batting, glovework precision, global nous, and spin guile. They smartly deployed their RTM card on uncapped gem Prema Rawat (₹20 lakhs), entering the auction with ₹6.15 crore to snag standouts like Nadine de Klerk, Lauren Bell, Grace Harris, Arundhati Reddy, and Georgia Voll, filling a 16-player squad primed for dominance with five overseas slots.
Ellyse Perry has opted out of the upcoming edition of the WPL due to personal reasons, while Sayali Satghare has been named as her replacement for the season.
This article unveils RCB’s best possible playing XI, a meticulously balanced unit led by Mandhana’s tactical acumen, fusing retained stars, auction coups, and strategic depth to conquer the split-phase campaign and reclaim the crown.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Squad for WPL 2026:
Smriti Mandhana (C), Richa Ghosh (wk), Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Kumar Prathyoosha (wk), Dayalan Hemalatha, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat (RTM), Nadine de Klerk, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith
Best Possible XI for Royal Challengers Bengaluru for WPL 2026:
1] Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana steps up as opener once more for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in WPL 2026, her silken timing and fearless strokeplay the perfect ignition for title chasers. Already the franchise’s second-highest run-scorer behind Ellyse Perry, who has been replaced by Sayali Satghare in the squad for the season, the RCB skipper has 646 runs across 26 innings at a blistering strike rate of 128.68 and an average of 24.84, including four half-centuries. She embodies RCB’s aggressive blueprint. In a tournament demanding power from ball one, Mandhana’s ability to anchor or explode positions her as the linchpin, ready to paint DY Patil and Kotambi with boundaries en route to another championship charge.
2] Grace Harris
Grace Harris, the 32-year-old Australian destructive all-rounder, swaps UP Warriorz colours for RCB’s red-and-black, primed to ignite WPL 2026 as Smriti Mandhana’s opening partner. Her UP-legacy dazzles: leading run-scorer with 581 runs in 21 innings at a strike rate of 140.33 and average of 32.27, including three half-centuries in 22 matches, plus 13 wickets (third highest for the franchise) at 28.23 average and 7.92 economy, featuring a four-wicket haul. Edging out Georgia Voll with her unrivalled big-hitting prowess across any ground, Harris promises explosive starts, blending carnage and control to supercharge RCB’s title bid. She can also chip in as the 6th bowling option for the Smriti Mandhana-led side this season.
3] Gautami Naik
Gautami Naik, the lanky 27-year-old all-rounder from Nagaland, now via Baroda and Maharashtra, earns her WPL bow after RCB snagged her in the November 27, 2025, mega auction, slotting her at No. 3 for a fresh top-order dynamic. Third-highest run-scorer in the 2025 Women’s Maharashtra Premier League (WMPL) with 173 runs in six innings for Ratnagiri Jets (opening alongside Mandhana), she recently clinched the Senior Women’s T20 title with Maharashtra. Her delectable cover drive, towering reach to smother spin, and handy off spin make her a seamless fit, poised to stabilise and accelerate RCB’s innings in WPL 2026.
4] Sayali Satghare
Sayali Satghare, the 25-year-old promising all-rounder, steps into RCB’s spotlight at No. 4 after limited chances with Gujarat Giants over two seasons, where she tallied 20 runs at a 111.11 strike rate in two innings and snared one wicket in two outings. Gone unsold in the November 27, 2025, mega auction, she seized her break as replacement for Ellyse Perry, who withdrew for personal reasons. An underrated pace option for Smriti Mandhana’s side, Satghare’s raw potential could ignite the middle order and tighten the bowling attack in WPL 2026.
5] Richa Ghosh (wk)
Richa Ghosh, the explosive 22-year-old Indian wicketkeeper-batter, anchors RCB’s middle order at No. 5, her retained prowess (₹2.75 crore) a game-changer for WPL 2026. RCB’s third-highest run-scorer with 625 runs in 24 innings at a scorching strike rate of 150.96 and average of 34.72, including four half-centuries in 26 matches, her backend blitzes have repeatedly turned tides. With glovework to match, Ghosh promises match-winning cameos, blending stability and six-hitting fury under Mandhana’s charge.
6] Nadine de Klerk
Nadine de Klerk, the 25-year-old destructive South African all-rounder, finally unlocks her WPL potential at No. 6 for RCB in 2026, with Ellyse Perry’s absence thrusting her into a starring role after three seasons of frustration. Shockingly limited to just one appearance, representing RCB in the 2024 edition, following an unused stint with the Mumbai Indians in 2025, she now eyes centrality with bat and ball. This auction coup (among RCB’s standouts) positions her power-hitting and seam skills as pivotal to Mandhana’s title push.
7] Pooja Vastrakar
Pooja Vastrakar, the 26-year-old promising Indian all-rounder, joins RCB post the November 27, 2025, mega auction after an impressive Mumbai Indians stint across the tournament’s first three years, snaring 7 wickets in 12 innings at 28.85 average and 7.08 economy, plus 126 runs in 11 innings at 116.66 strike rate and 14 average. Injury sidelined her for the 2025 edition, but with recovery on track for WPL 2026 kickoff, she slots at No. 7 as a massive asset for Smriti Mandhana’s side. Should fitness delay her, Arundhati Reddy stands ready as a like-for-like cover, delivering finishing firepower and impactful spells.
8] Radha Yadav
Radha Yadav, the dynamic 25-year-old left-arm spinner and all-rounder, bolsters RCB at No. 8 as a pinch-hitting finisher after her mega auction switch from Delhi Capitals, where she shone as an X-factor across three seasons. Joint fourth-highest wicket-taker for Delhi with 14 scalps in 19 innings at 27.57 average and 7.56 economy, including a four-wicket haul in 20 matches with the ball, she also chipped in 74 runs in 9 innings at 145.09 strike rate and 12.33 average. Her arrival sharpens RCB’s fielding bite under Mandhana, blending lower-order explosiveness with spin guile for WPL 2026 impact.
9] Shreyanka Patil
Shreyanka Patil, the 23-year-old off-spin bowling all-rounder, storms back from a lengthy injury lay-off to anchor RCB at No. 9 in WPL 2026, her retained guile (₹60 lakhs) a decisive weapon for Mandhana’s squad. Joint-highest wicket-taker for RCB with 19 scalps in 15 innings at 18.36 average and 8.51 economy, including two four-wicket hauls, she also notched 81 runs in 11 innings at 147.27 strike rate and 27 average. Fresh off Georgia Wareham’s departure to Gujarat Giants, Patil’s dual-threat potential promises match-turning blows with bat and ball across the split venues.
10] Prema Rawat
Prema Rawat, the promising 24-year-old leg-spinner, steps up as RCB’s sole wrist spin asset at No. 10 in WPL 2026, their only RTM pick (₹20 lakhs) after losing former duo Asha Sobhana and Georgia Wareham in the mega auction. Limited to three games so far for RCB with 1 wicket in a couple of innings, she now inherits an elevated, pivotal role in the bowling attack amid spin-heavy pitches at DY Patil. Rawat’s variations could prove decisive, offering Mandhana a rare X-factor to unlock middle-overs breakthroughs and reclaim the title.
11] Lauren Bell
Lauren Bell, the towering 25-year-old English pacer, gears up for her WPL debut as RCB’s frontline strike bowler after joining via the November 27, 2025, mega auction, having gone unused at UP Warriorz despite her raw potential. Yet to feature in the tournament, her bounce and skill set her apart, primed to deliver early powerplay breakthroughs with swing and death-over variations under Smriti Mandhana’s command. Bell’s spells could prove game-defining across DY Patil’s tracks, assisting early seam movement and Kotambi’s tactical battles, bolstering RCB’s pace attack for WPL 2026 glory.
The Smriti Mandhana-led side will kickstart their campaign in the upcoming 4th edition of the tournament against the Mumbai Indians, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, in the season opener on 9th January 2026 at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, from 7:30 PM IST.
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