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"Lot of attitude...": Nayar reveals first honest impression of Venkatesh Iyer before IPL 2026

Sakshi Sharma

Venkatesh Iyer in IPL 2025 (Source: AFP)Venkatesh Iyer in IPL 2025 (Source: AFP)

The return of Venkatesh Iyer to the IPL 2026 mini-auction has brought back an interesting chapter from his early days with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He was bought for a massive ₹23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega-auction, but the star player was released after a disappointing season. Now, he enters the mini-auction with a base price of ₹2 crore, hoping to find a fresh start with a new franchise.

As discussions heat up around his future in IPL, newly-appointed KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar shared a striking memory about his first impression of Venkatesh during the KKR trials.

Nayar recalls first meeting with Venkatesh Iyer

Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show, Nayar recalled the exact moment Venkatesh Iyer appeared at the trials years ago.

"I actually picked him because of his attitude. On the first day, Venkatesh Iyer walked in with swagger; he performed, but he never looked at us or tried to please anyone. I thought he was someone with a lot of attitude. On the second day, we gave him a game. In the final over, when our bowler cramped, Venky shouted from the boundary, 'I will bowl the last over'. He bowled and conceded 18 runs, but what I loved was his willingness to face adversity," Nayar shared via The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan.


"The trial mattered less to him than proving to himself that he was doing the right thing. That conviction stayed with me," Nayar concluded.

While some coaches may have misread that attitude, for him it was something deeper, self-belief and quiet confidence.

Iyer’s rise, fall, and road back to auction

Venkatesh Iyer’s IPL journey has been dramatic. He was first bought by KKR for ₹20 lakh in 2021. His performances saw his value shoot up to ₹8 crore in 2022. In the IPL 2025 mega-auction, KKR went all out and picked him for ₹23.75 crore.

But after an underwhelming season in 2025, the franchise released him. He now enters the mini-auction seeking a reset.

KKR, meanwhile, has released several big names, including Andre Russell, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Spencer Johnson, and will now enter the auction with a purse of ₹64.30 crore.