Newly appointed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane opened up about Venkatesh Iyer’s high price tag for the IPL 2025 season. Rahane defended Iyer’s high price, adding that the left-handed batter has consistently performed well for the Kolkata franchise and fully deserved his salary.
Venkatesh Iyer was not retained by KKR ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The Knight Riders went all out in the auction and secured Iyer for Rs 23.75 crore. He became the fourth-most expensive player in IPL history. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder’s price sparked discussion in the cricket fraternity.
Venkatesh Iyer Deserved That Price Tag – Ajinkya Rahane
Speaking at a pre-season press conference, Ajinkya Rahane stated that Iyer deserved his price tag. He urged the media to stop questioning the amount and instead support the team moving forward.
“I want to tell you all that Venkatesh Iyer deserved that price tag,” Rahane said in a press conference ahead of IPL 2025.
“People are talking about all these things, but he has done well for this franchise on a number of occasions, so I think he deserves that price. I just want to tell you that please support the team and not ask all these questions in the coming press conferences or wherever,” he added.
When the IPL Will Start, It Really Doesn’t Matter – Venkatesh Iyer
Iyer admitted that the pressure of his price tag is unavoidable but added that it will become irrelevant once the season begins. Iyer also said that players must learn to handle pressure.
“Wherever I go, I get asked this question, so it is existent, right? You can’t ignore it altogether. When the IPL will start, it really doesn’t matter. You are part of a playing XI, you are a part of a team that is going out there to win,” Iyer said.
“It really does not matter for what price you were picked or what is expected out of you. Pressure is always there, irrespective, if not the price tag, it will be something else. It’ll either be selection or batting in multiple positions, the pressure will still be there,” he added.
Venkatesh Iyer Named Kolkata Knight Riders Vice-Captain for IPL 2025
Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL 2024 title under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy. Venkatesh Iyer played a key role in KKR’s triumph, scoring 370 runs in 13 innings at an impressive average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.80, including four half-centuries.
Overall, he has played 51 IPL matches, amassing 1,326 runs at an average of 31.57, with 11 half-centuries and one century. He has also taken three wickets with the ball.
For IPL 2025, Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed KKR’s new captain, and Iyer was named vice-captain. The Knight Riders will kick off the season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 22 at Eden Gardens.
Rahane is set to play his second stint with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He played for the franchise in the 2022 season, scoring 133 runs in seven matches.
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