TATA IPL 2026 Mini-auction: It's Great To Finally Have Venkatesh Iyer, Says Andy Flower

Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live Auction 2026’, JioStar expert Anil Kumble commented on Cameron Green being sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.2 crore:

“I would like to see him play the opening slot for KKR. I think, in terms of a finisher, KKR already have a decent line-up. They have Rinku Singh, for instance. I don’t think they utilised their resources well last season. If you compare it to the season when they won the trophy, it was a similar kind of line-up. Yes, of course, Shreyas Iyer, the skipper, was missing and Mitchell Starc, the key fast bowler, was also missing. However, if you look at the kind of batting depth they had — Ramandeep Singh, Rovman Powell and Rinku Singh; these are all capable and experienced batters who can operate in the No. 5, No. 6, finisher roles. So I feel, they don’t need a Cameron Green to do that job. I would rather see him at the top of the order, either opening or at No. 3, depending on where Ajinkya Rahane wants to bat. Sunil Narine could drop down to No. 6 or No. 7 or even act as a floater.”

On Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s purchase of Venkatesh Iyer after a bidding war with KKR:

“Venkatesh Iyer is a smart buy for RCB—we spotted him in yesterday’s mock auction too. IPL is months away, so RCB needs reliable backups. Despite KKR’s poor utilisation last season, his left-handed batting will thrive at Chinnaswamy.”

On David Miller being sold to Delhi Capitals for ₹2 crore:

“Experience is something Delhi Capitals clearly lacked. While the uncapped batters did perform well last season — Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam, in particular, played the finisher’s role effectively. Adding someone with David Miller’s experience and ability is a big plus. Pairing him with Tristan Stubbs, his South African teammate, strengthens the middle order significantly. At that price, it’s an absolute steal for Delhi Capitals. I thought Gujarat Titans might look to bring him back, but they seem likely to stick with Washington Sundar for that role. Overall, it’s a very smart move by Delhi Capitals to add experience — something they were missing last season.”

Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live Auction 2026’, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Head Coach Andy Flower highlighted Venkatesh Iyer’s leadership and competitiveness after securing him at the auction:

“It’s two years running we’ve battled KKR for Venky—we both rate him highly, so it’s great to have him on board. We met him, chatted, and loved his competitive spirit, smarts, and leadership qualities for the dressing room and field. Looking forward to working with him.”