The Kolkata Knight Riders’ vice-captain believes that once the tournament starts, the pressure will no longer matter.
It was expected that there would be fierce competition for Venkatesh Iyer in the IPL’s mega auction. However, his salary surpassed all expectations. The vice-captain of Kolkata Knight Riders has shared that he felt the weight of that huge amount before the tournament began.
In November, during the two-day auction, Venkatesh Iyer was the center of intense bidding. After a tough fight, Kolkata secured him for ₹23.75 crore, making him the fourth most expensive player ever sold in IPL history.
Venkatesh has played all four seasons of his IPL career and 51 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders. Although he is from Madhya Pradesh, he is widely known as a Kolkata player now.
In the previous season, Venkatesh contributed significantly to Kolkata’s title win, scoring 370 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.79. In 2021, he scored exactly 370 runs as Kolkata finished as runners-up. Despite Kolkata’s failure in 2023, Venkatesh scored 404 runs at a strike rate of 146. However, his performance in 2022 was disappointing, with just 182 runs at an average of 16.54 and a strike rate of 107.69.
This season, Kolkata has entrusted him with additional responsibilities. Venkatesh is now the deputy to captain Ajinkya Rahane.
In a recent press conference with Rahane, mentor Dwayne Bravo, and head coach Chandrakant Pandit, Venkatesh spoke about the IPL. During the discussion, the 30-year-old player addressed the pressure of his high salary.
“The pressure (of the salary) is always there. You can’t completely ignore it. But once the IPL begins, it truly doesn’t matter. I am part of a team and a lineup that steps onto the field to win,” he said.
Kolkata’s campaign to defend their title begins next Saturday, with their opening match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
