Venkatesh Iyer turned heads after defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) broke bank to re-acquire him for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Venkatesh Iyer fetches staggering Rs 23.75 crore in IPL 2025 mega auction
With this he became the most expensive all-rounder in the hitory of IPL. Venkatesh Iyer's impressive show in recent years put him on almost all the 10 franchises' radar after KKR didn't retain him earlier. With a base price of INR 2 crore, Iyer entered mega auction and sparked a bidding war among teams vying for his services.
Venkatesh Iyer, who was listed in Set 4 of capped all-rounders with a base price of Rs 2 crore, sparked an intense bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Ultimately, KKR emerged victorious, acquiring Iyer for a staggering price that exceeded his base price by over 11 times.
Prior to the auction, KKR had retained six players, exhausting their Right-to-Match (RTM) options. As a result, the franchise had to pay a significant amount to retain Iyer, who made his IPL debut with KKR in 2021.
Venkatesh Iyer's IPL journey in numbers
Iyer's IPL journey began in 2021 when he joined the Kolkata Knight Riders. He made an immediate impact, scoring 370 runs in 10 matches, including four half-centuries. His contributions were instrumental in guiding KKR to the IPL final that year. Notably, he scored a half-century in both the Qualifier and the final.
Before the IPL 2022 mega auction, KKR retained Venkatesh Iyer, recognising his potential despite a below-par performance in the previous season. However, Iyer bounced back strongly in the 2023 season, scoring 404 runs, including a century and two half-centuries. Building on his successful 2023 season, Iyer continued his impressive form in 2024, contributing 370 runs with four half-centuries. His contributions were crucial in helping Kolkata Knight Riders clinch their tenth IPL title.
KKR's buys in IPL 2025 mega auctions
Venkatesh Iyer (23.75 crore), Quinton de Kock (3.60 crore)
List of players retained by KKR for IPL 2025
Rinku Singh: 13 cr
Varun Chakaravarthy: 12 cr
Sunil Narine: 12 cr
Andre Russell: 12 cr
Harshit Rana: 4 cr
Ramandeep Singh: 4 cr
How have KKR fared in IPL so far?
KKR are one of the most successful franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), having clinched the title three times. This makes them the third most successful team, trailing only behind Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, both of whom have five titles each. KKR's title-winning campaigns have been led by strong captains. Gautam Gambhir guided the team to victories in 2012 and 2014, while Shreyas Iyer led the team to their most recent triumph in 2024.
