Former Team India leg spinner Anil Kumble said that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are unlikely to include Venkatesh Iyer in their playing eleven at the start of the next IPL season. The former India captain said that the defending champions want to stick with their title-winning team rather than make early changes.
Venkatesh Iyer was signed by the Bengaluru team in the mini auction for ₹7 crore. It is worth noting that last season Kolkata Knight Riders had spent ₹23.75 crore on him. After representing KKR since his IPL debut in 2021, this will be the first time Iyer will play for another franchise. He was part of their 2024 title-winning campaign.
Venkatesh Iyer will not be in the playing eleven – Anil Kumble
Speaking on Tata IPL auction review as a Jiostar expert, Anil Kumble said that Royal Challengers Bangalore will not bring Venkatesh Iyer straight into the playing eleven as they want to avoid troubling a side that has already found success.
“Venkatesh Iyer will not be in the playing eleven initially. You don’t want to create doubt in the winning team,” Kumble said.
Kumble said this thinking shaped RCB’s auction decisions. He said the team indicated its faith in Suyyash Sharma by not playing hard for Ravi Bishnoi, which ensured that the young players already in the team felt supported.
“They did not go after Ravi Bishnoi so that Suyyash Sharma did not feel threatened by a senior spinner from India,” he said.
There are some doubts – Sanjay Bangar on Venkatesh Iyer
Sanjay Bangar said that Venkatesh Iyer cannot start in the playing eleven of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Bangar pointed out that although Iyer is seen as a strong long-term option by RCB coaches and scouts, his role is unclear at the start of the season.
Bangar said that Krunal Pandya had performed well for the team last season and Suyyash Sharma also had a strong campaign.
“He has been performing consistently and you can see his confidence. Will he be in the playing eleven now? There is some doubt about it because it is a settled team,” Bangar said.
He said, “Krunal played well, so the lack of a top spinner was not felt. Suyyash Sharma had a good season.”
RCB signs Venkatesh Iyer with an eye on the No. 3 role
Royal Challengers Bangalore signed Venkatesh Iyer with an eye on a clear role at the top of the order, especially the No. 3 position. Devdutt Padikkal had performed well during RCB’s title-winning 2025 campaign before suffering an injury, with Mayank Agarwal coming in for the remainder of the season.
Having entered with a base price of ₹2 crore, Iyer attracted interest in the auction, with several franchises joining the bidding before RCB secured him. He has scored 1,468 runs in 56 innings at an average of 29.12 and a strike rate of 137, which includes one century and 12 half-centuries.
RCB have also signed left-arm fast bowler Mangesh Yadav, England wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox, young prospects Satwik Deswal, Vihaan Malhotra and Kanishk Chauhan and New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy.
Also read: Shreyas Iyer eyes comeback in New Zealand series, BCCI COE is monitoring fitness in Bengaluru
