Venkatesh Iyer’s life totally changed when he started opening in IPL 2021. The guy smashed 370 runs in just 10 matches that season, almost carrying Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the championship, but they lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 27 runs in the final. Still, KKR’s bosses were super impressed with his aggressive batting style and kept him on the team instead of Shubman Gill for the IPL 2022 big auction.
Okay, so he didn’t do so hot in 2022, but they stuck with him, and in 2023, he bounced back with 404 runs in 14 matches. Then, in 2024, he hit 370 runs in 15 matches, hitting at a rate of 158.79. He had a big part in KKR winning their third IPL title. In the final game, he smashed a half-century to chase down a target of 114 runs.
Even after all that, KKR didn’t keep him on the team for the 2025 season at first. But get this – they went all out and signed him again for a crazy INR 23.75 crore in the mega-auction! And that’s not all, Venkatesh got a spot in the leadership group, with the team announcing him as their vice-captain.
Before the new season kicked off, he was saying how much it means to him to play for Kolkata. He pointed to Rinku Singh as an example, saying everyone knows Rinku now because of KKR. He thanked the bosses for giving him the chance and said playing at Eden Gardens was always his dream.
“Look at Rinku Singh, for instance. Now he is a hero. Everyone who loves cricket knows him. That’s what’s so special with Kolkata crowd. You just fall in love with the game when you are in Kolkata. So, It means a lot to me to be able to play for this franchise. I was lucky enough because KKR was the first one to pick me. Being a member of this team is really special. Playing at the iconic Eden Gardens was always a dream,” Venkatesh said to RevSportz.
