My effort remains constant whether I’m paid 23 crore or 20 lakh: Venkatesh Iyer

Kolkata Knight Riders’ vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer bounced back in style after starting IPL 2025 with a string of low scores. The southpaw smashed 60 off just 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens to guide his side to an 80-run win. 

Picked up for a whopping INR 23.75 crore in the mega auction, the third-highest buy of the season, Iyer has had a rollercoaster journey. Released after KKR’s title-winning 2024 season, the franchise went all-in to reacquire the all-rounder, outbidding several others. With added leadership duties under new captain Ajinkya Rahane, Iyer has become more than just a middle-order batter and is being considered a future leader. The tall, lanky all-rounder shared how he deals with the expectations and the chatter around his price.

“To be honest, I’m not ignoring it completely—I’m a practical person. I know there’s pressure, and there’s a lot of talk around the price and all those things. But at the same time, that’s not in my control. What is in my control is the effort I put in to help the team win, and that remains constant, whether I’m paid ₹23 crore or ₹20 lakh. Once the tournament begins, that’s my only focus: to contribute in every way I can, not just with the bat and ball, but in my new leadership role as well. Everything else will take care of itself,” he said exclusively on JioHotstar’s special show ‘Gen Bold’.

My style of captaincy is a bit more dynamic: Venkatesh Iyer

Despite his early disappointing scores of 3 and 6 in his first two games, Iyer stayed patient and worked on the process. His knock against SRH, including 20 runs off Pat Cummins in the penultimate over, helped Kolkata push their total over 200. The 30-year-old opened up about his rapport with captain Rahane.

“I think every captain has a different approach to the game. We have someone like Ajinkya in our team, who I feel is very composed and calm under pressure. My style of captaincy is a bit more dynamic, and that’s the beauty of cricket—people with different skill sets and mindsets coming together to contribute to the team. Ajinkya has already taken the initiative to speak to players, and I've been in regular conversation with him regarding the team, not just on-field strategies but also life off the field. I’m really happy to be playing under him,” he added.

Notably, since bursting onto the IPL scene in 2021, Iyer has crossed the 350-run mark in every season, barring 2022. This time around, with a hefty price tag, the franchise has a lot of expectations from the all-rounder in defending their title.