Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Abhinav Mukund has questioned Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) plans for the next season after the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16. RCB made a splash by signing Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for ₹7 crore, and brought in the left-handed batsman to strengthen their top order.
On paper, it looked like a big increase, but Mukund believes that Venkatesh Iyer may not realistically find a place in RCB’s playing XI in IPL 2026. Cricket pundits have pointed out that the problem for RCB is Devdutt Padikkal, who has been in great form and is already a part of the top order.
Abhinav Mukund questions RCB’s plans, doubts on Venkatesh Iyer making playing eleven in IPL 2026
Mukund also revealed that RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik is also unsure about where Venkatesh Iyer will fit in given Padikkal’s recent performances. “He can bat anywhere from 1 to 7. He can also give us an over or two if we need. He is a utility player who we considered very seriously in the mega auction,” Karthik had said after the auction.
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Notably, Padikkal played a key role in RCB’s IPL 2025 title win despite playing in only 10 matches due to injury. He scored 247 runs at a strike rate of over 150. Even Padikkal has been in great form with the bat in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26.
Padikkal has so far scored 309 runs in six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 matches at an average of 61.8 and a strike rate of 167.02, which includes one century and two fifties.
Was not committed to Venkatesh Iyer’s place in DK XI: Abhinav Mukund
With Padikkal being in such great form, Mukund believes that Venkatesh Iyer should not rush into the playing eleven. He believes that RCB’s top seven players are performing well and there is no need to change the winning combination in the upcoming IPL 2026.
ESPN Cricinfo quoted Abhinav Mukund as saying, “DK was on our show, and we asked him whether Venkatesh would start in the XI, and DK was unsure about it. He said Padikkal is in great form. Last year, Venkatesh’s stock was much higher than Padikkal, but if you look at it now, Devdutt had a phenomenal performance last year. I don’t think Venkatesh will start, and he shouldn’t either. Top Big success with seven.”
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Sanjay Bangar questions RCB’s IPL 2026 auction strategy
Former RCB and India batting coach Sanjay Bangar raised questions on RCB’s auction strategy. He believes that the franchise missed the opportunity to strengthen its spin department, which was a weak point last season. With spinners like Ravi Bishnoi and Rahul Chahar available and RCB having money left in the purse, Bangar wondered why they decided to spend big on Venkatesh Iyer instead.
Bangar also pointed out that spending on a player who cannot even play in the starting XI could be risky, especially when there is a need to boost the team’s spin options. However, he still feels that Venkatesh is a quality cricketer and can be a valuable backup option for RCB next season.
He further added, “Spin is something that was a bit of a question mark last season. You would hope that when Bishnoi and Chahar were there, both of them would be good picks. They also had the purse. So why spend on a spot they can’t use?”
