23.75 Cr! Venkatesh Iyer Open To KKR Captaincy For IPL 2025 After Breaking Bank At Auction

Venkatesh Iyer (Source: @Johns/X.com)

Venkatesh Iyer is set to reprise his role for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in their title defence next year. While the Madhya Pradesh-based all-rounder was released by the KKR management on the day of IPL 2025 retention announcement, he set the cash registers ringing at the mega auction just a few weeks later in Saudi Arabia.

After breaking bank at the bidding event, Venkatesh expressed his views on a potential captaincy gig for the KKR franchise, considering their title-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer was released by them on October 31.

Venkatesh Iyer on possible captaincy gig for KKR

While speaking with ESPNCricinfo, Venkatesh Iyer said that he will be happy to take up the role of KKR captain if he ever received an offer from them. He said:

“Given the responsibility to be KKR captain, I'd be more than happy to do it.”

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Star Indian batter Shreyas Iyer, who led the KKR franchise to a drought-ending IPL victory earlier this year, was released by the management on October 31. Needless to say, KKR will be looking to find a new captain in a bid to defend their title in next year’s IPL 2025 season.

On the day of IPL 2025 mega auction on Sunday, November 24; the KKR franchise owners shelled out a whopping Rs.23.75 crore to reacquire the services of Venkatesh Iyer, mere weeks after releasing the cricketer.

Venkatesh has been a part of the KKR setup since the 2021 edition of the IPL. To date, the cricketer has played 51 IPL matches, all for the KKR, and has tallied 1,326 runs at a splendid batting average of 31.57. The attacking left-handed batter has also maintained an astonishing strike rate of 137.12, and has listed 11 half-centuries and a hundred.

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