New Delhi: Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has reacted to his heavy price tag at the IPL 2025 auction last month. The player has also been opened to assume the responsibility of captaincy for the three-time IPL winners. The Indore-born player was roped in for a whopping sum of INR 23.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the same franchise where he has played his all four IPL seasons since 2021.
Iyer has played 50 IPL matches for KKR in the last four seasons and played an integral in their title triumph last season in 2024. He has scored 1326 runs in 49 innings at an average of 31.57 and a strike rate of 137.13, including 11 half-centuries and one century.
He was the revelation for KKR in the second leg of IPL 2021 in UAE, scoring 370 runs in just 10 games to help them reach final that season. He was one of the four retentions ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction, but that wasn’t the case this time around. The 29-year-old was released from the squad as the team management retained Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh.
As a result, Iyer was sold for a lucrative deal after being in demand by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), making him the third expensive player of the season. Reacting to the big amount of paycheck bagged at the auction, Iyer ensured that there won’t be any complacency on his performance.
“It’s a great thing if people are getting money. Why do we work so hard? To earn well and to lead a good life. It is very important to understand that once the tournament starts, it almost becomes immaterial,” Iyer told The Indian Express.
“You might be a Rs 20 lakh player or a 20 crore player… you still go out there to contribute to the side’s victory. That did not change when I played in IPL 2021, when I was picked for my base price. And that will definitely not change when I play IPL 2025,” he added.
Venkatesh Iyer reacts to captaincy ambitions
Venkatesh Iyer is touted to be the next KKR IPL captain after Shreyas Iyer, under whom the team won the title last season, was sold to Punjab Kings for a whopping sum of INR 26.75 crore. The franchise also has other viable options in Ajinkya Rahane, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey and Quinton de Kock. The lanky Indian all-rounder is ready to don the captain’s armband if handed the additional responsibility.
“I’ve always maintained that I want to be a leader in any set-up that I walk into, be it Madhya Pradesh, an IPL team, or even the Indian team. Being a leader, you want to contribute with your ideas, with your suggestions,” he said.
“You don’t really need the captaincy tag for that. So I always want to be a leader in the dressing room. And if captaincy comes my way, it will be an honour to lead such a reputed franchise. Let’s see what’s in store for me,” he added.
Venkatesh Iyer’s INR 23.75 crore price tag at the IPL 2025 auction makes him one of the highest-paid players. He’s played a crucial role for KKR since 2021, contributing significantly to their 2024 title win. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
