IPL's INR 23.75 crore player's salary to be slashed to half in this auction: Probable price, teams for Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer returns to the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a base price of INR 2 crore after KKR released him post a disappointing season.

Updated on: Dec 9, 2025, 11:03:59 IST

By Probuddha Bhattacharjee

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Venkatesh Iyer enters the IPL 2026 mini-auction as a classic reset case. KKR pushed a bidding war up to INR 23.75 cr for him at the last mega auction, then let him go after an underwhelming season with only modest returns.

Venkatesh Iyer returned to the top of the order for KKR (PTI)

He is back in the pool at an INR 2 cr base price, one of the only two Indians in that top bracket alongside Ravi Bishnoi. A left-handed top-order bat who can bowl seam is still rare, so the real question is: who can pay serious money for that profile without repeating KKR’s mistake?

On roles, purse, and history, three suitors stand out.

Chennai Super Kings

CSK arrive with an INR 43.3 crore purse and nine open slots. With Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran both moving out, they suddenly lack a left-handed batting all-rounder in the top six. Chepauk rewards intent against spin and multi-skill Indian players; Iyer can open, bat at No.3, or float and give flexibility to the bowling attack.

Because CSK have both money and clear role clarity, they can afford to drive the bidding. If they commit to him as a medium-term piece, they are one of the few sides who can stretch into double digits and still finish the day balanced.

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR’s release was ruthless but logical: an outlay of INR 23.75 crore for a season that brought only 142 runs. The upside is that now they carry the biggest purse in the room at INR 64.30 cr and know his game better than anyone.

If the room cools on Venkatesh Iyer because of recency bias and the optics of the INR 2 cr base-price call, they are perfectly placed for a value buy-back. For KKR, it becomes a pure math question: if he slides into the 8-10 crore window, does that still leave enough to fix death bowling and finishing?

Also Read: Cameron Green to land at KKR, CSK, or…: How IPL 2026 mini-auction's fiercest bidding war could be around him

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

RCB’s interest isn’t hypothetical. In the 2025 mega auction, they went head-to-head with KKR and bid for Iyer beyond INR 23 cr before losing out when KKR finally sealed him at INR 23.75 crore. That alone tells you how neatly they felt he fit their Chinnaswamy modes as a left-hand top-order option who attacks pace and offers a couple of overs.

Iyer doesn’t fix every structural issue, but he ticks enough boxes, domestic, left-handed batter, multi-skill, for them to stay interested as long as the number stays in the mid tier.

Price band and favourites

Venkatesh Iyer's probable IPL bidding. (HT)

Going straight to the maximum base price is always a gamble. It stops a bargain-bin deal but filters out casual bidders. In this market, it’s hard to see Iyer going below INR 6-7 crore; a realistic band is INR 8-11 cr, with a slim chance of touching 12 if CSK and one of KKR/RCB refuse to blink.

Anything much higher risks a 2025-style overreach - paying for the dream version rather than recent output. On balance, CSK look the cleanest tactical fit, with RCB as the unfinished business challenger and KKR lurking as the opportunistic buy-back if everyone else backs away.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Probuddha Bhattacharjee
Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More

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