IPL 2026 Auction: ₹16.75 Crore Loss! Venkatesh Iyer Moves To RCB For ₹7 Crore After KKR Bidding War

India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer suffered one of the biggest pay cuts in auction history. The MP all-rounder eventually was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for ₹7 Crore after a bidding war with KKR. Incidentally, the two teams had gone head to head for Venkatesh Iyer last year as well, with KKR buying him for a staggering ₹23.75 Crore

Venkatesh Iyer was the third highest paid player in the IPL 2025 Auction with KKR breaking the bank to get their star all-rounder back. However he had a horror season and was releaed into the auction with Kolkata opting for a full reset.  He has featured in 62 games, scoring 1468 runs at an average of 29.95 and a strike rate of 137.32. Iyer played a vital role in their title win in 2024, while also starring in their run to the 2021 IPL final.

RCB have long chased Venkatesh Iyer, chasing him in the IPL 2025 Mega auction as well. His ability to bat anywhere across the top order and bowl medium pace makes him a rare commodity in the Indian market.

"We rate Venky so highly. We had chat with him we liked him and we are very happy to have him, he got a good leadership quality too so it helps in dressing room environment," RCB head coach Andy Flower said on the sidelines of the IPL 2026 Auction.