After being brought back by Kolkata Knight Riders for a staggering ₹23.75 crore at the IPL mega auction, Venkatesh Iyer expressed on Sunday that he would be "more than happy" to don the captaincy role and step into the shoes of Shreyas Iyer.
A shocking move and a bold call- the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise chose not to retain their 2024 IPL-winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, at the mega auction but instead entered a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore over Venkatesh Iyer.
"I get to lead the team with Nitish Rana missing out through injury, and I was the vice-captain as well," Venkatesh said after he was sold to KKR for an impressive amount.
"I've always believed that captaincy is just a tag, but leadership is about creating an environment where everyone feels they can play for this team and contribute. If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on. Absolutely.
"Together, we will aim to defend the championship and continue our winning campaign. Thank you very much for picking me in your squad," he added.
Venkatesh became the third-most expensive player in the IPL mega auction, after Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, as he represented India in nine T20Is and two ODIs. The massive price tag made him one of the biggest surprises of the auction, and he expressed his gratitude towards the franchise.
"I thank you, KKR, for believing in me so much and for trusting me. It is a huge delight being with Kolkata Knight Riders again. Honestly, I am not even close to finding the right words, but I am ecstatic for the privilege of joining the KKR team once again," said 29-year-old.
"The KKR coach was also my coach in Madhya Pradesh. We were discussing how I felt nervous about coming back to KKR. But again, it's a message of the franchise's focus on winning championships and player development and how much they value its players. I'm thrilled to play for KKR again and happy they've shown so much confidence in me."
### Mysore on Team Balance
KKR's CEO and MD, Venky Mysore, said the team's focus was to maintain a balance while keeping core players and also with the marquee signings like Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje.
"Auctions are always unpredictable. It's about the type of players you want and how they fit into your strategy. Prices certainly have a meaning within a certain band, but auctions often surprise you," Mysore said.
"With salary caps increasing, it’s natural for prices to expand too. For us, it was crucial to maintain our core. We’ve retained six players and brought back three from last year. That was the main objective."
Read also| IPL 2025 Auction: Pant, Rahul, Iyer Set to Raise the Stakes on Opening Day in Jeddah
