The Kolkata Knight Riders made a surprising decision following their IPL-winning campaign last year. They released Venkatesh Iyer from their squad, only to bring him back at an astonishing price of ₹23.75 crore in the mega auction. This staggering bid placed him among the most expensive players in IPL history, trailing only behind Rishabh Pant (₹27 crore) and Shreyas Iyer (₹26.75 crore). Since making his debut midway through the 2021 season, Venkatesh has been a reliable performer for KKR. With the exception of a challenging 2022 season, he has consistently surpassed the 350-run mark each year. However, this season, his record-breaking price tag has ensured that all eyes are on him like never before.
Despite utilizing their full retention quota for players such as Rinku Singh, Varun Chakarvarthy, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh, KKR’s aggressive auction strategy for Iyer eclipsed them all. But with a hefty price tag comes scrutiny, and Iyer found himself at the center of discussions after managing only 9 runs in his first two outings of IPL 2025. His absence at the crease in the second game only added to the questions. However, the left-hander remained unfazed.
“Once IPL starts, it doesn’t matter whether you were sold for ₹20 lakh or ₹20 crore. The money doesn’t define how you will play cricket,” Iyer stated with confidence at the post-match press conference. His emphatic response came in the form of a scintillating knock of 60 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, silencing critics and steering KKR back to winning ways in the tournament’s 18th edition.
Addressing the mounting expectations, Iyer was clear about his approach. “We have a youngster called Angrish Raghuvanshi, who is doing really well. I know that the question of high payment and expectations will come up a lot, but I am a player who wants to contribute to the team’s success. There will be tricky situations when my team would require me to play out a few balls. If I can do that even after not scoring that many runs, I have done the job for my team. It doesn’t mean that I’m the highest-paid cricketer I will have to score in every match. It’s about the impact.”
With his measured mindset and match-winning performances, Venkatesh Iyer has proved that numbers on a paycheck don’t dictate success on the field. His journey this season will continue to be closely watched as KKR looks to capitalize on their star all-rounder’s resurgence.
