NewKerala.com

RCB's Mo Bobat Calls Venkatesh Iyer Signing a "No-Brainer" for IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mo Bobat has defended the acquisition of all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, calling it a "no-brainer" to strengthen the squad despite the player's below-average IPL 2025 season. Bobat emphasized that creating competition for places within a strong squad is key to achieving the team's ambitious goals. He clarified that the final playing XI for the first match has not yet been selected, with decisions to be made in the coming days. RCB will begin their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 in Bengaluru.

Key Points: RCB Director Mo Bobat on Venkatesh Iyer IPL 2026 Signing

  • Iyer bought for Rs 7 crore
  • Coming off a below-average 2025 season
  • Bobat stresses squad competition
  • Final XI not yet selected
  • Title defence begins March 28
2 min read

Adding a player of Venkatesh Iyer's quality is a no-brainer: RCB's director of cricket Mo Bobat

RCB's Mo Bobat explains why signing Venkatesh Iyer was a priority to strengthen the squad ahead of their IPL 2026 title defence.

"Adding a player of Venky's quality, experience, and calibre is a no-brainer. - Mo Bobat"

Bengaluru, March 24

Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mo Bobat said that a player of Venkatesh Iyer's experience and quality strengthens the squad and adding him to the team is a "no-brainer," ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season.

Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who won the IPL 2025 with Kolkata Knight Riders, was snapped up by RCB at the 2026 IPL auction for Rs 7 crore.

Notably, Venkatesh's IPL 2025 was below-average in terms of performance. In the seven innings that he batted, Venkatesh Iyer could only manage 142 runs at an average of 20.28.

Ahead of the IPL 2026, RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat said that while the team has not made any selection decisions yet, adding a player of Venkatesh Iyer's calibre is a no-brainer.

"We want competition for places. Adding a player of Venky's (Venkatesh Iyer) quality, experience, and calibre is a no-brainer. You strengthen the squad. You worry about selection as you get towards the first game. The first thing to say is that we haven't selected our team for the first game yet, so we haven't made any decisions on selection. Still a few days to go. Ultimately, our main objective at the auction was to strengthen the squad," Bobat stated.

Mo Bobat said RCB hasn't finalised selections yet, but securing a player like Venkatesh Iyer was a priority. He emphasised building a strong squad to foster competition and ambitious goals, with final lineup decisions to be clarified in the coming days.

"So, look, we haven't made any decisions just yet, but the fact that we were able to attract a player like him, get him to the franchise and have him as an option was our priority at this stage. We want competition for places. We're very ambitious about what we want to achieve," he said.

"And you do that by having not just 11 or 12 players. you do that by having a you know really strong squad. So that's as far as we're concerned right now where we're at and then over the next few days we'll clarify our decisions on selection," Mo Bobat added.

Defending champions RCB will kick off their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
I have mixed feelings. 7 crores for a player who averaged 20 last season? I hope Bobat's confidence is not misplaced. We need performers from game one, not just "squad strength." The pressure at Chinnaswamy is different.
A
Aman W
Smart move. One bad season doesn't define a player. Venkatesh is a proper all-rounder who can change the game with both bat and ball. Having him as an option gives the team so much flexibility. RCB's think tank is on point!
S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan, this is interesting. RCB building depth is good, but the real test is team selection. Will they actually back him if he doesn't start well? Or will he warm the bench? That's often been their issue.
V
Vikram M
Bobat is talking sense. You don't win tournaments with just 11 players. The long tournament needs a strong bench. Iyer brings that X-factor. Last season's stats aside, he's a big-game player. Excited for the season opener!
K
Kriti O
Respectfully, I disagree with the "no-brainer" comment. At that price, there were other Indian all-rounders available. Hope the management has a clear plan for him and he justifies the faith. The fans deserve consistent performances. 🤞

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50