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"Venkatesh Iyer will not be in RCB playing XI": Anil Kumble goes hard on Kohli and co's 7 cr buy

Rajgeeta Yadav

Anil Kumble drops bombshell [Source: X]Anil Kumble drops bombshell [Source: X]

RCB, the defending champions of the IPL, made a big move at the 2026 mini-auction earlier this month by buying Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs. 7 crore. The auction was held in Abu Dhabi, and the purchase quickly became one of the most talked-about moments. 

Many expected that such a costly buy would walk straight into RCB’s playing XI. However, former RCB legend Anil Kumble has shared a surprising opinion that suggests otherwise.

RCB outbids KKR to buy Venky Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer, who previously played for KKR, was released after a disappointing IPL 2025 season. Despite being bought for a massive Rs. 23.75 crore in the earlier mega auction, Iyer struggled badly last season, scoring only 142 runs in 11 matches. This poor run led KKR to let him go.

At the mini-auction, RCB once again went head-to-head with KKR to sign the all-rounder. In the end, RCB won the bidding war and secured Iyer for Rs. 7 crore, making him their most expensive buy at the auction.

Anil Kumble makes bold prediction about Venkatesh Iyer

However, according to Anil Kumble, this does not guarantee Iyer a place in the starting team. Speaking to JioStar, Kumble explained why RCB may not rush to include Iyer in the playing XI.

"Venkatesh Iyer will not be in the playing eleven at the start. You do not want to create doubt in a winning team. That is probably why they did not go after a Ravi Bishnoi, so that Suyash Sharma does not feel threatened by a senior India spinner," Kumble said.

"RCB thought they might get outbid, but they did not, so they are happy to have Venkatesh Iyer."

Kumble also praised RCB’s overall auction strategy, saying the team has focused on keeping its successful core intact while adding backups for key players.

"They (RCB) have done well to keep the core the same, back their players, and just have a few backups in case something goes wrong."

"Jacob Duffy will be a backup for Josh Hazlewood, and Jordan Cox is a like-for-like replacement for Phil Salt. Mangesh Yadav comes in as a backup for Yash Dayal. He is a left-arm seamer with a lot of potential, though he has not played much cricket," said Kumble.

In total, RCB signed eight players at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Along with Venkatesh Iyer, the franchise brought in Jacob Duffy, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, and Kanishk Chouhan as they prepare to defend their title.