Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has claimed that Venkatesh Iyer will not be able to make a place in the playing eleven of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Let us remind you that RCB had bought Iyer in the mini auction by bidding Rs 7 crore, but Kumble’s claim has created a sensation in the cricket world even before IPL 2026.

While discussing a show on Geo Star, Anil Kumble said that the plan of the RCB team was to maintain continuity within the team and not to make any sudden changes. Anil Kumble said, “Venkatesh Iyer will not get a chance in the playing eleven of RCB initially. You would not want to create doubt in a trophy-winning team.”

Kumble also talked about RCB’s auction strategy. He told that the franchise wants to show confidence in the young players. According to Kumble, RCB did not buy leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi so that no doubt arises in the mind of Suyyash Sharma who was already in the team.

Venkatesh Iyer was released by KKR before the IPL 2026 mini auction. By releasing him, KKR’s purse was emptied by Rs 23.75 crore. Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants had also shown interest in buying Venkatesh Iyer. Whereas Kolkata Knight Riders did not consider it right to bid more than Rs 6.80 crore for him. Finally RCB bought him with a bid of Rs 7 crore.

In his IPL career, Venkatesh Iyer has so far scored 1468 runs in 56 innings. His strike rate in IPL has been more than 137 and in this short career he has scored one century and 12 fifties. Iyer was a flop in IPL 2025, in which he was able to score only 142 runs in 7 innings.

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Venkatesh Iyer will play for any other IPL team other than Kolkata Knight Riders for the first time, although KKR had also bid on him in the auction but Royal Challengers Bangalore won that bid. Last year his salary for KKR was Rs 23.75 crore, but this time it is less than Rs 10 crore.

venkatesh iyer ipl 2026 price

Royal Challengers Bangalore has bought Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 7 crore. Iyer was with KKR since his IPL debut, but will now share the dressing room with Virat Kohli. Iyer’s base price was Rs 2 crore, although his salary is Rs 16.75 crore less than last year.

Venkatesh Iyer IPL Career

Venkatesh Iyer made his IPL debut for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021. Since then he was a part of the KKR team. From 2021 to 2025, he played 62 matches for KKR, in which he scored 1468 runs with an average of 29.95. He has scored 1 century and 12 half-centuries in IPL. Apart from this, he also has 3 wickets in his name, but this time he will play for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

If we look at last year’s record, Venkatesh had scored 142 runs in 7 innings played in 11 matches for KKR, although the franchise could not utilize him well. He did not come up to bat, which was why he could score only one half-century in 2025.

Cameron Green created history

Australian batsman Cameron Green has now become the most expensive foreign player in IPL history, breaking the record of his own compatriot Mitchell Starc. Green was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 25.20 crore, his base price was Rs 2 crore.

The first player to be sold in the IPL 2026 auction was David Miller, who was bought by Delhi Capitals for his base price (Rs 2 crore). Wanindo Hasaranga was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 2 crore, Quinton de Kock was bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore.