It cost the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) more than Rs 9.68 lac for every ball Mitchell Starc bowled at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. A wicket for every Rs 1.45 crore. These kinds of conversions are a norm when a player attracts humungous price money at the IPL auction. Call it pressure or boon, the player tends to feel the nerves, and for Venkatesh Iyer, it won’t be different.
The defending champs had a stupendous IPL 2024 season, clinching their third silverware in the last 13 seasons. Venkatesh played his part as he thrashed 370 runs at a career-best strike rate of 158.79. However, with the mega auction dynamics, KKR had to leave out some of their stars. Venky Iyer was part of the released players but the Knight Riders went all guns blazing in getting their Indian all-rounder, who has been with them since 2021.
Venkatest Iyer on his sensational IPL 2025 price
Facing some bidding battle against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), KKR managed to pull off a sensational buy. They splashed Rs 23.75 crore to buy back Venkatesh. In a recent interview, the 30-year-old admitted the “price tag” pressure ahead of IPL 2025. However, he takes the price as a motivation that KKR wants him. He also opined his perspective on the matter, saying that irrespective of the price tag, a player must give his everything to perform.
“Definitely, I’d lie if I say that there is no price-tag pressure. We all live in a social-media world. It’s up to me how I take that pressure. The way I look at it, how much confidence KKR have in me, all it does is motivate me to do something special for my team. The way I play will not change,” said Venkatesh Iyer while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
“Once the IPL starts, who cares if I’m a Rs 20 lakh player or a Rs 20 crore player? I’m the player for KKR. I have to go out there and perform. Even if I would have been picked for Rs 20 lakhs [about $24,000 at the time of the auction], I will still have to do it.”
“But I have my task cut out in terms of how I behave off the field, where I put my energies. Going out there and performing for my side in the way that I know best. I don’t want to change anything. I’ve played my game in a certain way and that is what I’d like to take to this IPL as well. Rest, I’ll just leave it to my preparation and the confidence I feel.”
Venkatest Iyer IPL stats
| Mat | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 51 | 1326 | 104 | 31.57 | 137.12 | 1 | 11 | 121 | 61 |
| IPL 2024 | 15 | 370 | 70 | 46.25 | 158.79 | 0 | 4 | 35 | 19 |
| IPL 2023 | 14 | 404 | 104 | 28.85 | 145.84 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 21 |
| IPL 2022 | 12 | 182 | 50* | 16.54 | 107.69 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 7 |
| IPL 2021 | 10 | 370 | 67 | 41.11 | 128.47 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 14 |
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