Gujarat Titans (GT) released South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee from their squad ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Apart from the Proteas pacer, the 2022 winners also released Mahipal Lomror, Karim Janat, Dasun Shanaka, and Kulwant Khejroliya, while Sherfane Rutherford was traded to Mumbai Indians (MI). Coetzee played only four matches for GT in IPL 2025. The right-arm pacer claimed two wickets at a strike rate of 36. In his overall IPL career, the 25-year-old has featured in 14 matches and has claimed 15 wickets at an average of 31. 46, with the aid of one four-fer. The South Africa pace bowler was purchased by the Gujarat franchise at the IPL 2025 mega auction for ₹2. 40 crore. In this feature, we look at three teams that can target Coetzee at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. #1 Delhi Capitals Delhi Capitals (DC) have retained pacers Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera and T Natarajan ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Starc came up with some fantastic performances in the 2025 edition. However, Natarajan looked completely out of rhythm in the few deliveries that he bowled. Chameera too was expensive, going at over 11 runs per over. DC were heavily dependent on Starc to deliver the good in the bowling department. They ended up paying the price for some rather poor bowling efforts during the competition. Thus, despite starting the season with four wins, the Delhi franchise failed to reach the playoffs. DC can look at Coetzee as a potential bowling partner for Starc. The Proteas cricketer is also a handy lower order batter and could provide support to someone like Ashutosh Sharma in the end overs. Delhi have a purse of ₹21. 80 crore and five overseas slots remaining for the IPL 2026 auction. They have good enough reasons to target Coetzee. #2 Chennai Super Kings Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), somewhat surprisingly, released Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The right-arm pacer did have an underwhelming IPL 2025 season, claiming 13 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of over 10. Many experts and fans, though, expected CSK to back him, given his game-changing ability. Chennai do have the likes of Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary as well as all-rounder Jamie Overton as pace bowling options for the next season. However, they would want a frontline overseas fast bowler in the squad in case they are unable (or don’t want to) to buy back Pathirana at the IPL 2026 mini-auction next month. Coetzee could be among the overseas bowlers on their list. He has come up with some impressive performances with the ball for South Africa and has won them matches with the bat as well. He has the potential to be groomed by CSK into a match-winner. CSK have a huge purse of ₹43. 40 crore and four overseas slots left for the auction. Coetzee can fit into their squad as an overseas buy. #3 Royal Challengers Bengaluru On expected lines, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have retained the core of their IPL 2025 squad. If we look at their fast bowling options for the upcoming season, they have proven performers while Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal too has done well for the franchise in the last couple of seasons. RCB, however, released South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. They could look at Ngidi’s Proteas teammate as a replacement. Bengaluru need a backup overseas pacer considering that their No. 1 match-winner with the ball, Hazlewood, is also prone to injuries and fitness issues. Coetzee is a feisty character and can fit well into the RCB camp. Following retentions and releases, Bengaluru have a limited purse of ₹16. 40 crore for the IPL 2026 auction, and two overseas slots lot. They can look to target South Africa’s Coetzee as a potential cover for Hazlewood in case the latter gets injured again.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/3-teams-target-gerald-coetzee-ipl-2026-auction-ft-rcb
Tag: royal challengers bengaluru
“RCB ko bus KKR kaa ekk player chahiye Venkatesh Iyer” – Fans react to KKR’s massive release ahead of IPL 2026 Auction
**Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Release Venkatesh Iyer Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction**
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a significant move ahead of the IPL 2026 auction by releasing Venkatesh Iyer. The left-handed batsman was acquired for a massive ₹23.75 crore during the mega auction before IPL 2025. However, following a below-par performance, his release was widely anticipated considering the hefty price tag.
In IPL 2025, Venkatesh Iyer appeared in 11 matches but managed to score just 142 runs across seven innings, averaging 20.28 with a strike rate of 139.21. Additionally, he bowled only a single over throughout the tournament, limiting his all-round impact.
### Fan Reactions to Venkatesh Iyer’s Release
The decision to release Iyer garnered mixed reactions on social media. While many fans supported KKR’s management for making the tough call, some speculated that defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) might target him in the upcoming auction. Notably, RCB had engaged in a fierce bidding war with KKR for the 30-year-old during the previous auction.
One fan tweeted,
“Rcb ko bus kkr kaa ekk player chahiye venkatesh iyer Or kuch nahi ✌😎”
(Translation: RCB only needs one player from KKR, and that’s Venkatesh Iyer, nothing else.)
Another user emphasized the importance of smart spending:
“This move was necessary in the interest of the team. The only request is that choose the players at the table. If you predecide to take someone, you end up wasting your purse by unnecessarily investing in that player, and buying an overpriced player can disrupt the team’s balance.”
Additional fan reactions included:
– “Khushi toh Venkatesh Iyer k release hone ki hai 😌💁🏻♀️”
– “Iss baar Venkatesh Iyer 10 cr ke under hi mil jayega” (This time, Venkatesh Iyer will be available under ₹10 crore.)
– “I would have been surprised if they hadn’t released Venkatesh Iyer. He was a good for nothing player for that amount.”
– “24 cr for Venkatesh Iyer was nonsense honestly. And they might try Russell again at the auction. I think it’s a good release list!”
### Other Players Released by KKR
Alongside Venkatesh Iyer, KKR parted ways with several other players ahead of IPL 2026, including Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton De Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Mayank Markande (traded), Chetan Sakariya, Anrich Nortje, and Spencer Johnson.
### Will KKR Look to Reacquire Venkatesh Iyer at a Lower Price?
Although releasing Venkatesh Iyer was expected due to his underwhelming performance, KKR’s decision to offload such a high-profile player came as a surprise to some. There remains a possibility that the franchise may try to buy him back at a more reasonable price during the 2026 auction.
When KKR clinched their third IPL title in 2024, Iyer had played a vital role with the bat. That season, he scored 370 runs in 13 innings at an impressive average of 46.25 and a striking strike rate of 158.79, including four half-centuries.
To date, in 62 IPL matches, Venkatesh Iyer has amassed 1,468 runs at an average of 29.95 and a strike rate of 137.32, with one century and 12 half-centuries to his name.
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Stay tuned for more updates on IPL 2026, live scores, match schedules, points tables, and player auctions involving all franchises including CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, and PBKS.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-rcb-ko-bus-kkr-kaa-ekk-player-chahiye-venkatesh-iyer-fans-react-kkr-s-massive-release-ahead-ipl-2026-auction