The quarterfinals of the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy ended on Tuesday, January 13. Punjab, Karnataka, Vidarbha, and Saurashtra qualified for the semifinals. Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh were knocked out of the tournament.

Several international players were unavailable due to the ongoing India–New Zealand ODI series. Players like Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant did not feature, which affected the performance of Mumbai and Delhi. Meanwhile, batters such as Prabhsimran Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Shams Mulani, and Sameer Rizvi impressed with strong performances.

In this article, we look at five big IPL players who failed to perform in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 quarterfinals.

Also read -Watch: KKR all-rounder secures Punjab's place in VHT 2025-26 semi-finals

1. Venkatesh Iyer

Madhya Pradesh captain and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had a poor outing with the bat. He was dismissed for a two-ball duck, lbw to Sanvir Singh, as Punjab defeated Madhya Pradesh by 183 runs. In the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 176 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 25.14, including one half-century. With the ball, he took seven wickets in six innings at an economy rate of 5.54. RCB bought him for INR 7 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

2. Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi failed to make an impact against Karnataka. He scored 27 runs off 50 balls at a low strike rate of 54. The 21-year-old earlier impressed with scores of 92 and 68 not out against Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. However, his other scores were 38, 11, 11, 23, and 27. KKR retained him for INR 3 crore for IPL 2026. With no Iyer in the squad, Raghuvanshi will have an important role next season.

3. Nitish Rana

Delhi Capitals (DC) batter Nitish Rana was out for a golden duck against Vidarbha in the quarterfinal. Delhi lost the match by 76 runs and failed to reach the semifinals. Rana finished the tournament with 255 runs in eight innings at an average of 42.50, including two half-centuries. He was traded to DC ahead of the IPL 2026 auction for INR 4.2 crore, with Donovan Ferreira moving to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange.

4. Rinku Singh

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter and Uttar Pradesh captain Rinku Singh struggled in the quarterfinal against Saurashtra. He scored 13 runs off 20 balls and went wicketless in two overs, giving away 15 runs. Uttar Pradesh lost the match by 17 runs.

Overall, Rinku scored 421 runs in eight matches at an average of 105.25, with one century and three half-centuries. He also took two wickets in the tournament. He will next play T20Is against New Zealand before the IPL 2026 season.

5. Zeeshan Ansari

Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari also had a disappointing quarterfinal. He did not take a wicket and conceded 46 runs in nine overs. Despite this, he is the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 21 wickets in eight innings. SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) retained him for his base price of INR 40 lakh ahead of IPL 2026. Last season, he took six wickets in 10 IPL matches at an economy rate of 9.84. After his strong Vijay Hazare Trophy performance, he will aim to continue the form in the IPL.

On New Year's Eve for the year 2026, the renowned DJ Chetas was seen sharing the stage with the Indian pace bowling all-rounder, Venkatesh Iyer, as the video went viral from Ahmedabad, where the crowd went berserk with the screen showing two ICC winning trophies for the Indian side of the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025.

The crowd turned off their flashlights, and the mobile phones switched on as some emotional moments of the campaign were seen on the screen, with Venkatesh Iyer spending a few minutes on the stage and looking a bit emotional in those moments as he aims to make his return to the national side.

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Venkatesh has featured in 11 games across formats for the national side, where he has scored 157 runs with the best score of an unbeaten 35 runs in the shortest format. His last appearance for the national side came in February 2022 against Sri Lanka at Dambulla in a T20I match.

DJ Chetas and Venkatesh Iyer share stage on New Year’s eve

Venkatesh has overall 3249 runs in 129 innings in T20s at an average of over 34 and a strike rate of nearly 140, with the help of 19 half-centuries and one century at the best score of 104. Along with that, he has picked up 55 wickets in 76 innings at an average of 25 and an economy rate of under eight.

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In the case of the List A cricket, the southpaw has notched up 1658 runs and an average of 37.68, and the strike rate of over 100 with the help of five half-centuries and four centuries at the best score of 198 besides speaking of 32 wickets at an economy rate of 5.49. He didn’t enjoy a great IPL 2025 last year with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Venkatesh, however, will feature for the Royal Chandus Bangalore in IPL 2026, where we will have a new role under his domestic Madhya Pradesh captain Rajat Patidar at number as the franchise may also use him with a couple of overs in the middle if required. 

The IPL mini-auction delivered a major twist for three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders, who were unable to bring back Venkatesh Iyer. The left-handed batter was snapped up by defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 7 crore. Iyer had earlier been bought by KKR for INR 23.75 crore before the 2025 season. His poor form in the last IPL played a big role in KKR letting him go before the retention deadline.

Even so, KKR did not give up easily at the auction table. The franchise kept increasing the bid and went as high as INR 6.8 crore. When the amount touched INR 7 crore, KKR decided not to continue. That final call allowed RCB to secure the player and brought an end to Iyer’s long spell with KKR.

KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar later spoke about the situation and confirmed that the team wanted Iyer back. He explained that the management felt other teams were holding money for different players. Because of that, KKR believed they might be able to re-sign him at a lower price.

Cameron Green Pick Explains KKR’s Auction Strategy

Speaking to JioHotstar, Nayar said, “Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for us from the start. We tried to get him back. We felt other teams were saving money for different players, so we thought we could get him at a lower price.” He also pointed out that Iyer suited KKR’s setup well. According to him, the all-rounder gave the team valuable balance and flexibility. He further added, “He is experienced and fits our setup, giving us flexibility. We tried, but RCB always seems to go after our players. This year, they got him. Venkatesh has been phenomenal for us over the years, and I wish him all the best in his new IPL journey.” The coach’s words showed respect and appreciation for Iyer’s contribution. He made it clear there was no bitterness over the outcome.

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While missing out on Iyer, KKR made headlines by signing Cameron Green for INR 25.20 crore. This deal made Green the most expensive player in IPL history, going past Mitchell Starc. Explaining the move, Nayar said, “I can’t say how high we were willing to go for him, but we wanted to go all out. If we have the money, we spend it. There was no point in saving the money.” He added, “The idea was to do whatever we could to get Green because he is a very important player for us. With Andre Russell gone, we need someone to take the franchise forward. So, we decided we must have Cameron Green.” Along with Green, KKR also added Matheesha Pathirana, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, and Rachin Ravindra to strengthen their squad.

Talking about IPL 2026, KKR is going to be led by Ajinkya Rahane. After being eliminated from the playoffs in the previous season, the team hopes that their aggressive strategy in the auction really makes a difference in their favor. With a refreshed squad and new leadership options, KKR will aim to return to the top when the tournament begins on March 26.

Soon after the IPL 2026 mini-auction, Venkatesh Iyer received a major leadership role, showing that teams still have strong faith in his abilities despite a less impressive IPL 2025 season.

The all-rounder has been appointed captain of the Madhya Pradesh team for the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s top domestic one-day tournament, which will start on December 24.

At the IPL 2026 auction, Iyer drew interest from many franchises. Royal Challengers Bangalore finally bought him for ₹7 crore, outbidding Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants, and his former team, Kolkata Knight Riders, who pushed the bid up to ₹6.80 crore before leaving the auction.

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Venkatesh Iyer Takes Charge

Venkatesh Iyer will lead Madhya Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, replacing Rajat Patidar as captain.

Patidar, who led RCB to the IPL 2025 title, also guided Madhya Pradesh to good performances in the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His absence from the squad has surprised many.

Iyer played 10 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this season and scored 211 runs. 

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Venkatesh Iyer to lead Madhya Pradesh in Vijay Hazare Trophy in Ahmedabad

· Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) on Thursday selected Venkatesh Iyer as captain of their men's senior team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy league stage, which will be held in Ahmedabad from… pic.twitter.com/uLRKsFmkb0

— IANS (@ians_india) December 18, 2025

Big Names Set to Play Vijay Hazare Trophy

Among the other players picked are experienced batter Yash Dubey and IPL star Kumar Kartikeya. Kartikeya moved to the Rajasthan Royals last year after playing for the Mumbai Indians from 2022 to 2024.

Shubham Sharma and Harpreet Singh are also part of the 16-member squad. Madhav Tiwari has been included, but his selection depends on fitness.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 has gained extra importance due to the presence of top Indian players. Stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Prasidh Krishna have been named in their state squads.

Virat Kohli has confirmed his availability for Delhi, while Rohit Sharma is open to playing for Mumbai in the league stage. KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna have been selected by defending champions Karnataka.

The BCCI has made it mandatory for senior players to take part in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With a three-week gap between India’s last T20I against South Africa on December 19 and the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11, 2026, the board wants senior players to use this window to play domestic cricket.

Madhya Pradesh Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

Venkatesh Iyer (captain), Harsh Gawli, Himanshu Mantri, Yash Dubey, Shubham Sharma, Harpreet Singh, Rishabh Chauhan, Ritik Tada, Kumar Kartikeya, Saransh Jain, Shivang Kumar, Aryan Pandey, Rahul Batham, Tripuresh Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Madhav Tiwari

At the IPL 2026 mini auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured the Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for ₹7 crore. It was a tough bidding war, with teams like Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, and Gujarat Titans also showing interest. In the end, RCB stayed firm and successfully added Venkatesh to their squad.

Venkatesh Iyer will now play for the defending champions after being picked at the mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi. LSG and Gujarat Titans started the bidding before RCB and KKR entered the race. KKR pulled out after bidding ₹6.80 crore, allowing RCB to seal the deal. Venkatesh will reunite with his Madhya Pradesh teammate and RCB captain Rajat Patidar, adding strength to the batting and all-round department.

RCB are coming into IPL 2026 with high confidence after winning their first-ever IPL title earlier this year. They defeated the Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the auction, RCB retained most of their key players, including Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar. After signing Venkatesh Iyer, RCB head coach Andy Flower said, "It’s two years running we’ve battled KKR for Venky—we both rate him highly, so it’s great to have him on board. We met him, chatted, and loved his competitive spirit, smarts, and leadership qualities for the dressing room and field. Looking forward to working with him."

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Delhi Capitals

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Venkatesh Iyer (₹7 crore), Jacob Duffy (₹2 crore), Mangesh Yadav (₹5.2 crore), Satvik Deswal (₹30 lakh), Jordan Cox (₹75 lakh), Kanishk Chouhan (₹30 lakh), Vihaan Malhotra (₹30 lakh), Vicky Ostwal (₹30 lakh).

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Full Squad for IPL 2026

Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, Vihaan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal.

In the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions, we have witnessed numerous huge bids that have stunned the cricket world. We have experienced something spicy in every IPL auction, while the recent auctions produced some record-breaking bids that put the marks in the list of the most expensive IPL players. 

Most expensive players in the history of IPL

Rishabh Pant (INR 27 Cr)

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant created history when Lucknow Super Giants bought him for INR 27 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction. Without a doubt, Pant was selected as the captain of the team then, while the previous captain, KL Rahul, had already been released. 

Shreyas Iyer (INR 26.75 Cr)

The IPL 2024 winning captain Shreyas Iyer became the most expensive player in IPL auction history when Punjab Kings secured the Indian cricketer for INR 26.75 crore during the mega auction for IPL 2025. However, in that same auction, Rishabh Pant broke that record. 

Cameron Green (INR 25.2 Cr)

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green now holds the record for the most expensive player in IPL mini-auction history as well as the Cameron Green sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for this price during IPL 2026 auction. In the mini auction for the IPL 2026, the three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders bought Green for INR 25.20 crore. 

Mitchell Starc (INR 24.75 Cr)

Before Cameron Green, Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc held the record for the most expensive overseas player in IPL auction history, which was also then the most expensive buy in IPL auction history, when Kolkata Knight Riders won the bid for him for INR 24.75 crore during the IPL 2024 mini auction.

See Also: Venkatesh Iyer sold to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for this price in IPL 2026 auction

Venkatesh Iyer (INR 23.75 Cr)

In the IPL 2025 mega auction, the Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was successfully bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 23.75 crore. From 2021 to 2025, he served for KKR before Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured him ahead of the IPL 2026 season. 

When the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) left their premier Indian all-rounder, Venkatesh Iyer, out of the squad in the retention process, he was expected to go back to the franchise for a lower price. And the three-time champions showed their interest for a moment. Iyer can be a valuable player for his all-round skills with the bat and ball in hand.

Venkatesh Iyer’s opening bid came from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a price of INR 2 crore before the Gujarat Titans (GT) joined them in the war and continued raising the paddle a couple of times. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) looked firm with their eyes on the player as they won the small battle against the Lucknow side for a price of INR 3.40 crore.

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Kolkata finally raised its paddle and continued till INR 6.80 crore. But they couldn’t go over that mark, having got a small purse to build up the squad for the next couple of seasons. The defending champions increased their strength with another Indian pace bowling all-rounder in the side.

Venkatesh Iyer sold to RCB for INR 7 crore

Iyer didn’t have a great last season with the bat as he managed only 142 runs in seven innings at an average of little over 20 and a strike rate of 139.21 with the help of one half-century at the best score of 60. Even with the ball, he hasn’t been needed much in the entire league’s tournament, which has been quite surprising.

But in Bengaluru, he will get a new role, which could probably bring him back to his brutalness. A few hours before the auction, the southpaw clubbed a fine knock of 70 runs for Madhya Pradesh against Punjab in Pune, which has perhaps pushed his price a little up.

Apart from Iyer, Cameron Green was the biggest buy of the auction with the KK signing him for a price of INR 25.20 crore. Wanindu Hasaranga was a steal, with him making the move to the Lucknow Super Giants while the Mumbai Indians got their wicket-keeper, Quinton de Kock, back in the side.

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin explained Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) plan for the IPL 2026 mini-auction. He said the team wants to rebuild after a tough last season. With a purse of INR 43.40 crore, CSK is ready to pick players they really need, especially after overseas stars like Glenn Maxwell pulled out.

Ashwin said CSK’s first target will be an Indian all-rounder, most likely Venkatesh Iyer. After that, they will look for an overseas all-rounder, with Liam Livingstone being one of their main choices.

CSK to Target Venkatesh Iyer and Key All-Rounders in IPL 2026 mini Auction

Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “CSK’s first choice will be Venkatesh Iyer. They may have planned for Maxwell for the other spot, but since he is not available, they will now look at Livingstone.”

Venkatesh Iyer had a poor IPL 2025 season for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), even though the team bought him for a huge amount of INR 23.75 crore in the last mega-auction. For the upcoming auction, he has entered with the highest base price of INR 2 crore. Liam Livingstone, who was released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has found his form again in the International League T20 2025, which makes him a popular overseas pick.

Should Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) again bid for Venkatesh Iyer during the IPL 2026 auction? The question has been running around since they released their list of released players. KKR, who bought Iyer for INR 23.75 in the mega auction ahead of the IPL 2025 season, let him go ahead of a new Indian Premier League season. During a recent YouTube conversation, the cricketer himself claimed that the franchise can again try to acquire his service for another season. 

During the conversation Venkatesh Iyer said that he has been in discussion with Kolkata Knight Riders. He is still in touch with the newly appointed head coach, Abhishek Nayar. 

'Yes, I’ve been in conversation with KKR. I’m still in touch with Abhishek Nayar. We are all looking forward to the auction, and let’s see what happens," Iyer stated. 

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During the IPL 2025 campaign, the southpaw played eleven matches and scored 142 runs at an average of 20.28, including the highest score of 60. In the 2024 season, his batting average was 46.25. After the massive dip in the batting stats of Iyer, KKR team management decided to let him go to secure a handsome purse for the mini auction. 

Released and retained players of Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2026: 

Released Players of KKR: Andre Russell (₹12 crore), Venkatesh Iyer (₹23.75 crore), Quinton de Kock (₹3.6 crore), Moeen Ali (₹2 crore), Anrich Nortje (₹6.5 crore), Spencer Johnson (₹2.80 crore), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (₹2 crore)

Retained Players of KKR: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, ⁠Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

Available Slots: 13 (including 6 overseas slots)

Available Purse: INR 64.3 Crore.