Venkatesh Iyer Not Be In The Playing XI In The Start : Anil Kumble

The TATA IPL 2026 Auction saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru bolster their champion squad by securing Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy and Mangesh Yadav. Speaking on JioHotstar's 'TATA IPL Auction Review', JioStar experts Anil Kumble and Sanjay Bangar, along with coach Andy Flower, analyzed RCB’s strategy.

Speaking on the 'TATA IPL Auction Review', JioStar expert Anil Kumble detailed RCB's key acquisitions: "RCB thought they might get outbid, but they did not, so they are happy to have Venkatesh Iyer. 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."

On RCB's careful strategy to maintain stability within their squad after the auction he explained: "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. They have done well to keep the core the same, back their players, and just have a few backups in case something goes wrong."

Speaking on the 'TATA IPL Auction Review', JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar assessed the value and role of Venkatesh Iyer within RCB's settled squad: "Venkatesh Iyer had a lot of eyes on him since last season. He has been consistent and you can see his confidence. Dinesh Karthik, the batting coach, and Malolan Rangarajan, who scouts talent for RCB, have a good option in him. Will he be in the playing eleven right away? There is some doubt, as this is a settled team. They wanted left-handers and got them. They can adjust Venkatesh in the eleven, like they did with Krunal Pandya last season. Krunal played well, so the lack of a top spinner was not felt. Suyash Sharma had a good season."

Speaking on 'TATA IPL Auction Review', Andy Flower expressed his happiness at acquiring Venkatesh Iyer for RCB: "Venkatesh Iyer has strong leadership qualities. That is great to have in the dressing room and on the field. We are happy to get him and I look forward to working with him. When you plan well and have a good strategy, you know your limits. I think KKR had a little extra money left in their purse after purchasing Cameron Green. They were probably betting some of it on Venkatesh Iyer because they had some money left, but in the end, we ended up acquiring Venkatesh and we are really happy with it."