Venkatesh Iyer defends himself, lobbies for captaincy, indirectly hints at next IPL team

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer opened up about flaws in his batting ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, which is likely to take place in December. The left-handed batter also spoke about his captaincy aspirations and revealed conversations with the management.

The Kolkata-based team has invested in Iyer since his debut in the 2021 IPL season. However, he was released after their 2024 title win due to financial constraints. The franchise made a bold move by spending ₹23.75 crore to re-sign him at the 2025 mega auction, but the gamble failed to pay off for them.

Went Back to My Game and Analyzed What I Did Wrong - Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer said that the off-season allowed him to focus on improving both his fitness and bowling. He admitted that his footwork had been a weakness. Iyer added that he is now putting in the work to refine his technique and become a more complete player.

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“I went back to my game and analyzed what I did wrong. This off-season has given me the opportunity to work on my fitness and bowling," Iyer said.

"One area I identified as a weakness was my footwork. It wasn’t up to the mark. After speaking with my coaches and reviewing videos, I realized the issue, and now I’m working on improving it. I hope to get better,” he added.

Venkatesh Iyer on the reason behind his underwhelming IPL 2025 season :

🎙️There was an issue with my footwork, which my coaches pointed out. Unfortunately, we are judged only on numbers and how many runs we score.pic.twitter.com/Nwa1QRJwCD

— KKR Karavan (@KkrKaravan) November 12, 2025

I’m Always Ready for Captaincy - Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh said that he is ready to take on a leadership role. He stated that the team management made it clear that with an experienced leader at the helm, the plan was to groom him gradually for future captaincy responsibilities.

“I’m always ready for captaincy. I think the moment they decided to make me vice-captain, it showed that they were considering me for a leadership role and I really appreciate the clear communication from the management. They told me that while there’s already a capable and proven leader in place, they want to gradually prepare me for that responsibility,” Venkatesh Iyer said.

I am always ready for the Captaincy. When KKR appointed me as the vice-captain, it meant they saw me in leadership role. But Rahane had a lot of international experience, and KKR had made that clear to me through our conversations.

— Venkatesh Iyer 🎙️pic.twitter.com/p6dZHAjgty

— KKR Karavan (@KkrKaravan) November 12, 2025

I Absolutely Had No Idea - Venkatesh Iyer on Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Aggressive Bidding

Venkatesh Iyer admitted he was unaware of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) interest in him during the IPL auction.

Iyer mentioned that with Dinesh Karthik and Rajat Patidar part of the RCB setup, he assumed the franchise might have considered him for specific plans, but didn’t expect such aggressive bidding.

"No, I absolutely had no idea. Obviously, Dinesh Karthik is there in RCB, whom I played with for two years in KKR. So, he has seen me very closely; I have also practiced a lot with him. So, I felt that maybe he wanted to fit me into their scheme of things. Also, Rajat was already in that team," Iyer said.

"So, I thought maybe they have some plans, you know, for me. But I didn't think that they would go so hard for me suddenly, because what happens is you follow a set pattern, as an observer," he continued.

"I was also in that pattern, thinking the bidding would last for a while and then it would stop, one team would. But it was going on and within a few seconds I saw the 20 crore mark and I was like, 'Dude, what's happening?'"

V.IYER ABOUT RCB'S INTREST ON HIM :

" DK thought i'll fit in their scheme of things..."@DineshKarthik played a key role in scouting players, he deserves a life time contract with RCB 💯❤️‍🔥#RCB #IPL2025 #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/VZnzFU8OvC

— ᴅᴋ (@coach_dk19) November 12, 2025

Also read: SRH release official statement on Ishan Kishan's future