After a long time of 18 years of trying, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came up with their perfect team and thus won their first IPL title in 2025. Undoubtedly, RCB had already determined to retain their main players for the IPL 2026 season.
However, at the IPL 2026 auction, RCB managed to accomplish their previously unfulfilled goal of acquiring Venkatesh Iyer.
They had given the chase hard in the last mega auction, only to lose it in the end to KKR after a dramatic bidding that had gone up to ₹23.75 crore.
Still, for IPL 226, RCB had a very calm and smart way of getting their man and at a far more reasonable price of ₹7 crores.
This signing, however, raises one very interesting question. RCB is entering the season as the champion team and has almost the same playing XI, so where does Venkatesh Iyer fit in?
Option 1: replacing Devdutt Padikkal at no. 3
Criteria At no. 3 As opener
Innings 15 22
Runs 562 556
Average 43.23 27.80
Strike Rate 168.77 122.20
100/50
1/5 0/5
Highest score 104 67
(Table: Venkatesh Iyer’s IPL stats at different batting positions)
The first and most visible option is to let Venkatesh Iyer bat at no. 3 ahead of Devdutt Padikkal.
Iyer has made his IPL fame by performing batting in the top order, especially at 3, where he has killed both the quick and slow bowlers.
In contrast to Padikkal, Iyer brings along the seam bowling, hence providing the team with an additional option when the conditions call for flexibility.
This all-around ability may allow RCB to make their 11-player team adjustment more smoothly, particularly when playing in the slowest wickets, where an extra bowler is indispensable.
Option 2: Play Venkatesh Iyer as an impact player
RCB could use Venkatesh Iyer only as a batting impact player. This way they could keep their title-winning bowling attack and also provide their batting with extra power whenever they want.
Iyer’s presence as an Impact Player may lead to the outcome of the game being decided if big scores are to be chased or the first batting on flat pitches becomes the priority.
His expertise against spin and risk-free fast forward make him the most suitable player for this role, especially in pressure chases.
Option 3: Backup role – The least sensible route
The idea of having Venkatesh Iyer as a back-up player sounds like letting him rot. When playing at his best, he is not a player to be in the dugout but is a winner of matches for his team.
Using him only as a reserve for injury would deplete his confidence and justify the reason of his signing in the first place.
RCB did not purchase Iyer so that he could sit and observe. He was obtained to make the problems disappear before they appear, not after.
RCB were prepared to pay the all-rounder over ₹23 crores last year. That indicates desperation and possibly nothing but complete dedication. Hence, now that they have finally got Venkatesh Iyer in their camp, it would be absurd to keep him on the bench.
The bigger picture
RCB’s composed auction demonstrated maturity, and the Venkatesh Iyer signing is a strategy foresight rather than a whim.
His adaptability offers them several options while keeping the core identity of the team intact. Venkatesh Iyer can be either a top-order upgrade or a tactical impact player and thus, a boost for an already balanced side.
The difficulty now is not with selection but with clarity. If RCB gets its role right from the start, Iyer could be the serendipitous factor that propels them from a one-time champion to the continuous force in the IPL.
