IPL 2026 Auction: Venkatesh Iyer Sold to RCB for ₹7 Crore

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Venkatesh Iyer Sold to RCB for ₹7 Crore: The IPL 2026 mini-auction witnessed intense bidding in the set of capped all-rounders when bidding began for Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer. As expected, there was fierce competition among the teams to acquire Iyer.

IPL 2026 Auction: A Journey from ₹2 Crore to ₹7 Crore

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Venkatesh Iyer's base price was ₹2 crore. The bidding started with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), followed by Gujarat Titans (GT) who also placed bids of ₹2.20 crore and ₹2.80 crore.

• The Initial Battle (₹2 crore - ₹3.40 crore): LSG and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) also participated in the initial bidding, quickly pushing the price past the ₹3 crore mark.
• Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Enter the Fray (₹3.60 crore): As the bidding reached ₹3.40 crore, his former team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), entered the bidding to try and reclaim him.
• The Epic Battle Between RCB and KKR (Above ₹4 crore): Following this, the bidding transformed into a fierce battle between KKR and RCB.

Both teams kept raising the bid by ₹20 lakh each time.

• KKR bid up to ₹4.80 crore, ₹5.20 crore, ₹6.00 crore, and ₹6.40 crore.
• RCB responded strongly, bidding ₹5 crore, ₹5.40 crore, ₹5.80 crore, and ₹6.20 crore.

Also Read: IPL 2026 Auction: Matheesha Pathirana Sold to KKR for ₹18 Crore

Final Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

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When the bidding reached ₹6.80 crore, RCB placed their final bid.

Venkatesh Iyer was acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for ₹7 crore.

After this massive bid of ₹7 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) decided to back down. Iyer will now join RCB and strengthen the team's middle order and bowling attack under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar. It will be interesting to see how much this big purchase benefits RCB in the upcoming season.

Also Read: IPL Auction 2026 Live Updates, Complete list of sold and unsold players

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