New Delhi: Venkatesh Iyer is happy to have been retained by Kolkata Knight Riders at IPL mega auction, getting a mega deal worth Rs 23.75 crore in Jeddah on Sunday.
Defending champions KKR didn’t retain their winning skipper Shreyas Iyer but were determined to buy back Venkatesh, who said he is willing to lead the side if given a chance.
“I had the opportunity to captain the side in Nitish Rana’s absence when he was unfortunately injured, and I was the vice-captain as well,” Venkatesh said after his big pay day.
“I’ve always believed that captaincy is just a tag, but leadership is about creating an environment where everyone feels they can play for this team and contribute. If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on. Absolutely (I’m ready for it).
“Together, we will aim to defend the championship and continue our winning campaign. Thank you very much for picking me in your squad,” he added.
The left hander has played in nine T20Is and two ODIs for India and was the third most costliest buying Jeddah after Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants, Rs 27 crore) and Shreyas (Punjab Kings, Rs 26.75 crore.
Venkatesh was grateful that KKR kept faith in his abilities, where he has made a name for himself as an aggressive top-order batter.
“Thank you, KKR, for trusting me and showing so much belief in me. I’m extremely delighted to be part of Kolkata Knight Riders again. To be honest, I’m at a loss for words, but I’m elated to be part of the KKR team once again,” the 29-year-old said.
“The KKR coach (Chandrakant Pandit) was also my coach in Madhya Pradesh. We were discussing how I felt nervous about coming back to KKR. But again, it’s a message of the franchise’s focus on winning championships and player development and how much they value its players. I’m thrilled to play for KKR again and happy they’ve shown so much confidence in me.”
‘Aim was to maintain core’
KKR CEO and MD Venky Mysore their aim was to retain most of their star players who helped them win last year, apart from buying top picks Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje.
“Auctions are always unpredictable. It’s about the type of players you want and how they fit into your strategy. Prices certainly have a meaning within a certain band, but auctions often surprise you,” he said.
“With salary caps increasing, it’s natural for prices to expand too. For us, it was crucial to maintain our core. We’ve retained six players and brought back three from last year. That was the main objective.”
IPL 2025 mega auction – Full coverage
Most expensive buy
Rishabh Pant becomes most expensive player in IPL history
Top overseas buys
Buttler sold to GT, Delhi Capitals rope in Starc
New team for Shami
Mohammed Shami sold to SRH for Rs 10 crore
Most expensive spinner
Chahal becomes most expensive Indian spinner in IPL
Thank you very much for picking me in your squad, Venkatesh Iyer said after KKR bought him back for Rs 23.75 crore at IPL mega auction Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
