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"We Really Rated Venky Highly" Andy Flower Says Venkatesh Iyer Could’ve Shined At RCB

Akshita Patel

RCB speculates on Venkatesh Iyer's role in IPL 2025 [Source: @RCBTweets, @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]RCB speculates on Venkatesh Iyer's role in IPL 2025 [Source: @RCBTweets, @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally ended their 18-year-long wait for the IPL title in 2025. Under the guidance of head coach Andy Flower, the team lifted the trophy, creating history and after this memorable win, Flower remarked about one player that we wanted badly but could not get, Venkatesh Iyer.

Venkatesh was a hot pick at the IPL 2025 mega auction table, and RCB were ready to spend a massive INR 23.50 crore to get him. But Kolkata Knight Riders outbid them with INR 23.75 crore and retained the all-rounder.

However, Iyer had a flop season in 2025, scoring 142 runs in 11 games with a 20.28 average. But the RCB coach has suggested that the all-rounder could have fared well in red colours.

RCB Head Coach Suggests Alternative Fate Of Venkatesh Iyer

After RCB lifted the title in Ahmedabad on June 3, head coach Andy Flower revealed that his team were very eager to buy Venkatesh Iyer during the IPL 2025 mega auction. They valued his skills and believed he could be a big asset, especially as a left-handed Indian batter at the top of the order. 

"We really rated Venky (highly), that's why we went so hard for him. It was because we valued having a strong Indian core to our team. We wanted some exciting young cricketers and a left-hander in the top order. We didn't get him. I would like to think if he played for us, he would have had a really great season," Flower told media (via Crictracker).

Unfortunately for Iyer, the season didn’t go well. But Flower believes things could have been different if Iyer had played for RCB.

Having lost out on Iyer, RCB invested in Devdutt Padikkal. They acquired him for only INR 2 crore after he remained unsold in the initial round. Padikkal did a decent job, scoring 247 runs in 10 matches at a good strike rate of 150.61 before a hamstring injury ended his season early.

Venkatesh’s Hefty Price Tag Questioned By KKR

Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer and KKR coach Chandrakant Pandit are reportedly under fire after a disappointing IPL 2025 season. Iyer, bought for INR 23.75 crore, scored only 142 runs in 7 innings, a sharp drop from his 370-run campaign in IPL 2024. KKR’s management is reportedly unhappy with his performance and may reassess his role. Coach Pandit is also being blamed for pushing the high-value bid during the auction.