RCB have bought the all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 7 crore in the IPL mini auction for the upcoming season. Last season, he played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).after being bought for a massive Rs 23.75 Crore bid in the 2025 season.
The opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite fixures delivered high-quality action across venues, including Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad's centuries, Yash Rathod's unbeaten century for Vidarbha, Harpreet Brar and Jalaj Saxena producing match-turning bowling spells, and Venkatesh Iyer and Sudi
Delhi won the toss and elected to field first. Aman Mokhade failed to continue with his scorching form in the tournament in the tense knockout match, falling for a 12-ball six to Navdeep Saini at score of 31 runs.
Madhya Pradesh (16 points), UP (16 points), Mumbai (16 points), Odisha (12 points) finished at the top of their respective groups in the elite competition.
After a hot-and-cold season with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year at a price of 23.75 crore rupees, RCB got the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder for Rs seven crores in the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini auction held ahead of next year's season.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin praised Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for their smart signings at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction, highlighting the acquisitions of Vihaan Malhotra and Kanishk Chouhan at Rs 30 Lakhs each.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru made eight key additions at the TATA IPL 2026 Player Auction, headlined by the acquisition of Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 7 crore, alongside New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, who was signed for Rs 2 crore.
"I would like to see him play the opening slot for KKR. I think, in terms of a finisher, KKR already have a decent line-up. They have Rinku Singh, for instance," Kumble said on JioStar.
RCB got off to a fine start in the IPL 2026 auction, getting seasoned India and Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs seven crores and Kiwi pacer Duffy for Rs two crores.
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.
Put into bat, Madhya Pradesh posted a formidable 225 for 8 in their 20 overs. The innings was anchored by an attacking 70 off 43 balls from Venkatesh Iyer, featuring eight fours and two sixes, which kept the run rate high even after an early wicket.