Abu Dhabi, UAE, 16 December (H.S.): Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for ₹7 crore on Tuesday during the IPL 2026 mini-auction, outbidding rivals including his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders after Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans sparked the contest from his ₹2 crore base price.

Iyer's Proven Firepower Returns to Spotlight

Across 56 IPL innings, Iyer has amassed 1,468 runs at an average of 29.12 and strike rate exceeding 137, featuring one century and 12 fifties; despite a modest 142 runs in seven outings last season for KKR—who had retained him for ₹23.75 crore—his T20 ledger boasts 3,179 runs in 144 matches at 34.18 average and 138.63 strike rate, plus 55 wickets, complemented by 211 runs and two fifties in 11 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 matches at 26.37 average.

Hasaranga Lands LSG Reunion, Stars Go Unsold

Lucknow Super Giants snapped up Sri Lankan star Wanindu Hasaranga at base ₹2 crore, reuniting him with coach Tom Moody from prior ILT20 stints; Hasaranga's IPL haul includes 46 wickets in 37 games for RCB and Rajasthan Royals, with two four-fors and a five-wicket haul, alongside 2,463 T20 runs and 332 wickets in 238 matches—peaking at 6/9—and 773 runs with 146 scalps in 90 T20Is.

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, England's Liam Livingstone, Gus Atkinson, South Africa's Wiaan Mulder, and India's Deepak Hooda remained unsold.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar