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IPL 2026: Wasim Jaffer Names RCB Playing XI Ahead Of Opener, Excludes Phil Salt
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has picked his strongest playing XI of the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which is set to commence on March 28.
RCB has not made big changes to their squad ahead of the new season, but some good additions of Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, and Jacob Bethell, along with Devdutt Padikkal looking in great touch ahead of the season, have created a dilemma for the team management while selecting their playing XI.
In a video shared on X, Jaffer, who has previously worked with Punjab Kings in the IPL, has gone with former captain Virat Kohli and young batter Bethell, who was in great form during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026, to open the innings for RCB. He has dropped Phil Salt, who played a big role in RCB's triumph last year. Salt is going through a lean patch and scored just 130 runs in 8 matches in the World Cup, which includes a half-century.
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