Former India captain Anil Kumble thinks it will be difficult for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the reigning champions, to win the Indian Premier League again in 2026.
Kumble stated on JioHotstar that it is uncommon to win consecutive IPL titles. The only teams who have regularly dominated the league are the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Despite early skepticism, Kumble felt Rajat Patidar did well in his debut season as RCB captain.
“When he was announced as skipper, many of us were surprised because everyone expected Virat Kohli to handle the duties again. But the team management decided to go with Patidar, and it paid off,” Kumble said.
“He only had experience of captaining Madhya Pradesh and did well in domestic cricket. He was identified as the skipper, and with the experience he had, he led really well. Now it will be challenging because expectations will be high. But he looks very composed and calm under pressure. That is his USP. That should work for him.”
In the IPL mini auction, RCB paid Rs 7 crore (Rs 70 million) to recruit all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who for a number of years, played for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, Kumble believes that RCB could choose to retain the core group that helped them win the championship, therefore Iyer might not be in the starting lineup at the start of the season.
Devdutt Padikkal is expected to be in the starting lineup following his injury recovery and impressive batting form, according to Kumble.
Kumble also discussed the overseas players who might be included in the squad. Because of their combined batting prowess, he suggested that RCB field Tim David and Romario Shepherd together. He also stated that Josh Hazlewood will be included if he is totally fit, and Phil Salt is very certain to start.
These players would increase RCB’s batting depth and offer more bowling options, according to Kumble.
