Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and their bizarre antics at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction continue. The Red and Gold franchise got just one marquee player at the IPL 2025 mega auction, Liam Livingstone. The fascinating part was, they didn’t really try to get players.
Venkatesh Iyer over KL Rahul for RCB
RCB didn’t even go hard for one of their own, KL Rahul. The Bengaluru boy was expected to get back to his franchise; he wanted it, and Rahul himself expressed a desire to return if the chance arose at the auction. Well, when the time came, they stopped bidding for Rahul at just Rs 10.50 crore.
Ultimately, KL Rahul was bought by the Delhi Capitals for just Rs 14 crore. Given that Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul went for Rs 27 and 26.75 crore, getting Rahul at just 14 was a steal. But RCB didn’t go for them; instead, they went for Venkatesh Iyer. And not by just a little; they were willing to pay Rs 13 crore more for Venkatesh.
They started bidding for the southpaw when the price was just Rs 8 crore and went toe-to-toe with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) until the price went to Rs 23.75 crore. RCB then decided it was the right time to back out and let KKR pay the hefty sum.
Considering RCB is in dire need of a captain and a wicketkeeper. After they chose to release captain Faf du Plessis, 32-year-old Rahul would have been the perfect fit for them. But no, they showed no interest in him. They instead went for Venkatesh, who’s a good batter but not a three-dimensional player like Rahul, who can keep, open, and even lead the side.
KL Rahul RCB stats
| Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 417 | 37.90 | 145.29 | 0 | 4 |
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