Follow UsAfter 17 years of drought, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally broke their jinx, winning their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2025. But if they are to defend their crown, which is the toughest of all jobs, they will need some reinforcements.
That’s where these 3 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) could fit in perfectly for their 2026 IPL squad
One of RCB’s weaknesses from last year was the middle-order, where they didn’t have someone to take down spinners. That’s where Shivam Dube could fit right in the mould, and tee off from ball one.
In his time at CSK, the left-hander has shown crazy consistency, averaging 33.95 while striking at 151.6, which is way more than the 122.5 he was striking with RCB. Dube 2.0 can elevate RCB to greater success, forming a lethal duo with their skipper Rajat Patidar, as spinners would want to stay away from them. Given that there's a trade rumour surrounding Dube, RCB can make the best out of it.
Before last year’s mega auction, multiple RCB fan pages were eagerly welcoming Ravichandran Ashwin as a possible signing for IPL 2025. While that didn’t happen, RCB could use the trade window as a way to sign the off-spinner, who wasn’t on the name sheet every time CSK took the field.
Ashwin might be 38, but his experience will aid RCB’s bowling unit, which now has just Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma. Adding the off-spinner to the setup will also deepen their batting unit for IPL 2026.
Josh Hazlewood was almost like the one-stop solution to RCB’s new ball problems last year. But if the franchise decides to deepen its resources, they might definitely look at Khaleel Ahmed, who impressed with the new ball for CSK.
The left-arm pacer picked up 15 wickets in 2025, averaging 29.80, out of which 10 came in the powerplay, the joint-most for any bowler. Not to forget that he bowled 119 dot balls last year, making him a monstrous package.