The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction delivered a big surprise on Tuesday, December 16, as Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer sparked an intense bidding war in Abu Dhabi and walked away with a whopping Rs 7 crore deal.
The move came to light in the auction, especially considering that Iyer has not played for India since 2022. Iyer entered the IPL 2026 auction at the highest base price of ₹2 crore. He was listed in the pace-bowling all-rounders category and was one of the 45 players with the top base price.
Venkatesh Iyer got a good deal in IPL 2026 auction
The 30-year-old was placed in set number 2 under the All-Rounder 1 group. By the end of the bidding, Iyer walked away from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with a huge payout.
Despite being out of the Indian cricket team for a long time, RCB went all out and broke their bank to secure the services of Venkatesh Iyer in Abu Dhabi, showing strong faith in his ability as a batting all-rounder despite a poor season earlier this year.
Iyer was once seen as a potential long-term backup to Hardik Pandya, but injuries and inconsistent performances slowed down his international career. He has not played for India since 2022. So far, he has played 2 ODIs and 9 T20 matches for India. He scored 133 runs in ODI and 24 runs in T20. With the ball, he has taken five wickets in T20I cricket.
Venkatesh Iyer ready for a new IPL journey
Until this IPL 2026 auction, Venkatesh Iyer had spent his entire IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders. He was first picked by KKR in 2021 and remained with the franchise until his release ahead of this auction.
Notably, KKR had bought him back for a record ₹23.75 crore using the Right to Match card in the 2025 mega auction. However, IPL 2025 proved to be a difficult season for him, as he scored only 142 runs in 11 matches at an average of 20.28.
Iyer has scored 1331 runs in 50 innings of 62 IPL matches at an average of 30.95 and strike rate of 136.6. His record includes one century, 11 half-centuries, 122 fours and 61 sixes. With the ball, he has taken three wickets since making his IPL debut in 2021.
Now, with RCB strongly supporting him, Iyer will be keen to turn the page and make a strong comeback in IPL 2026 to revive his career.
