IPL Auction 2026: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru sign Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 7 crores

Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 16 (ANI): All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer joins defending Champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for Rs 7 crores in the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini auction on Tuesday.
Iyer went under the hammer for a base price of Rs 2 crore. Lucknow Super Giants raise the paddle for the first time. Gujarat Titans also join the race after a brief pause.
The bidding war begins when Iyer's former team, Kolkata Knight Riders, enters the race. RCB and KKR kept fighting for him; however, RCB signed the MP all-rounder.
Iyer has 1,468 runs at an average of 29.12, with a strike rate of over 137, a century and 12 fifties in 56 innings in IPL. Last year, KKR bought him back for Rs 23.75 crores, but he had a poor season, with just 142 runs in seven innings at an average above 20, a strike rate of almost 140, and just one fifty.
In T20S, he has scored 3,179 runs in 144 matches at an average of 34.18, SR of 138.63, including a century and 18 fifties and has taken 55 wickets at an average of above 25.
In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26 season, he has scored 211 runs at an average of 26.37, with an SR of over 119 and two fifties in 11 matches.
Wanindu Hasaranga reunites with Tom Moody at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), as the franchise signed him for his base price of Rs 2 crores. Hasaranga worked closely with Moody at Desert Vipers in the ILT20.
In IPL, Hasaranga has grabbed 46 wickets in 37 for RCB and Rajasthan Royals (RR), at an average of above 24 with two four-fers and a fifer.
Hasaranga, a global T20 giant, has 2,463 runs in 238 matches at an average of 17.10 and SR of 142.53, with nine fifties and 332 wickets at an average of 17.46 and best figures of 6/9 to his name. For Sri Lanka (SL), he has scored 773 runs in 90 T20Is at a strike rate over 126, with two fifties, and taken 146 wickets at an average over 15.
New Zealand's star all-rounder, Rachin Ravindra, went unsold. He was on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) books last year. However, his poor stint in the previous IPL led CSK to release him ahead of the auction.
England's star all-rounder Liam Livingstone also went unsold. Having a decent IPL career, Livingstone has 1,051 runs at an average of 26.27, with seven fifties and 13 wickets in 49 matches for RR, PBKS and RCB. He was also a part of RCB's title-winning season last year, though underwhelmed with 112 runs in eight matches with a fifty and two wickets.
England's Gus Atkinson, South Africa's Wiaan Mulder, and Indian all-rounder Deepak Hooda, along with Ravindra and Livingstone, went unsold. (ANI)