Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach Dinesh Karthik revealed his all-time playing XI for the franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026, which is scheduled to start from March 28.
Dinesh Karthik's surprise picks
His team selection included a few surprising choices, as he preferred several current players over some well-known legends who previously played for the franchise. The selections also appear to reflect the impact of RCB’s historic title win in 2025.
For the opening spots, Karthik picked Chris Gayle and Faf du Plessis, two of the highest run-scorers for the team in IPL history. Virat Kohli was placed at number three in the lineup.
At number five, Karthik selected another RCB legend, AB de Villiers, who was a key player for the franchise during his time in Bengaluru.
One of the biggest surprises in the team was Rajat Patidar, who not only made it into the XI but was also chosen as the captain ahead of Kohli.
“He’s the most successful captain, let’s start there, but as a batter, the impact he’s given in the short time that he’s played for RCB, [has been] quite phenomenal and [he is] such a key player for RCB. In fact, I’ll go a step ahead and say that he would be my captain. Virat Kohli obviously has led it for so many seasons and [has been] successful too, but I’d still say just the fact that he won Rajat Patidar, [would be] the captain," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Why Krunal Pandya was included in the playing XI
Karthik also included Jitesh Sharma at number six, even though he has played only one season for RCB. According to him, the wicketkeeper-batter earned the spot because of the impact he has made both as a leader and as a batter.
All-rounder Krunal Pandya was also picked for the same reason.
“If RCB has the trophy today, you have to say, it is largely due to how well he bowled in that final, but also the man of the match that he got against CSK, and he played such a pivotal role last year. Not too many left-arm spinners have been as successful through RCB for the year," Karthik said of Krunal.
Among the bowlers, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal were included because of their impressive records for the franchise over the years.
Josh Hazlewood was selected at number eleven following his strong performances in IPL 2025. Karthik also chose Mohammed Siraj as Hazlewood’s pace partner, preferring him over former RCB bowlers Vinay Kumar and S Aravind because of the large number of wickets he has taken for the team.
Dinesh Karthik’s all-time RCB 11
Chris Gayle, Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), AB de Villiers, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Josh Hazlewood.