IPL 2026 auction: Why did RCB exhaust 43 per cent of their purse to buy Venkatesh Iyer?

Venky Iyer goes to RCB [Source: AFP]

Royal Challengers Bengaluru entered the IPL 2026 auction with a purse of INR 16.4 crores. However, the defending champions exhausted 43 per cent of the amount, that is 7 crores, to get Venkatesh Iyer. Considering it's almost half of their purse amount, RCB's strategy to get Venky Iyer into their team raised a million eyeballs. 

Venkatesh Iyer IPL auction strategy explained

Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB enjoyed stellar success in the IPL 2025, breaking a seventeen-year trophy drought and securing their maiden IPL title. While Phil Salt and Virat Kohli formed a scintillating opening pair, Devdutt Padikkal emerged as RCB's go-to man at number three, scoring 247 runs at a blistering strike rate of 150.61. 

In such a scenario, RCB going all-out after Venkatesh Iyer and finally getting him for a whopping price of INR 7 crores raised question marks. As Iyer finds a new home team in the IPL, here we decode the possible reasons why the Royal Challengers desperately targeted him in the auction. 

Why RCB went all out after Venkatesh Iyer

Excellent record at number 3; hence an upgrade over Padikkal

(Venky vs Padikkal at 3 in IPL)

• As evidenced by the above stats, Venkatesh Iyer has been a more prolific performer at number three in the IPL. While Padikkal has 483 runs at an average of 24.15 and a strike rate of 138.79, Iyer has struck 562 runs, averaging an impressive 43.23 and striking at 168.77. 
• These facts suggest that Iyer is a definite upgrade over Padikkal and this is precisely why we might not see the latter featuring in RCB's playing XI. 

Great rapport with Rajat Patidar

• Venkatesh Iyer plays for Madhya Pradesh in the domestic circuit. For the unversed, RCB's captain Rajat Patidar also plays for the same side. 
• These two players share a great rapport with each other and Patidar is aware of Venkatesh Iyer's strengths. So, as a captain, he can definitely bring out the best from the swashbuckling southpaw for RCB in the IPL 2026. 

Big match player

• Venkatesh Iyer has showcased his class time and again in crucial matches, including the IPL playoffs. The left-handed batter has scored 35 per cent of the team runs in the IPL, while also averaging 78 in the crunch matches. 
• So, his ability to handle pressure could be one of the major reasons why Venkatesh Iyer bagged a lucrative deal for the 2026 IPL edition. 

Apart from these reasons, RCB, having most bases covered, only wanted a few tweaks to their existing lineup. Therefore, their decision to buy Venkatesh Iyer for 7 crores is justified and it has further strengthed their star-studded batting unit. 

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