Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer revealed about the flaws in his batting ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, which is likely to take place in December. The left-handed batsman also spoke about his captaincy aspirations and revealed talks with the management.
The Kolkata-based team has invested in Iyer since his debut in the 2021 IPL seasonHowever, he was released after the 2024 title win due to financial constraints, The franchise made a bold move by spending ₹23,75 crore to re-sign him in the 2025 mega auction, but the gamble failed to pay off for him,
Went back to my game and analyzed what I did wrong – Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer said that the off-season gave him a chance to focus on improving both his fitness and bowling. He admitted that his footwork was weak. Iyer said he is now working on improving his technique and becoming a more complete player.
“I went back to my game and analyzed what I did wrong. This off-season has given me a chance to work on my fitness and bowling,” Iyer said.
He said, “One area I identified as my weakness was my footwork. It was not as expected. After talking to my coaches and reviewing videos, I realized the problem and now I am working on improving it. I hope to get better.”
Venkatesh Iyer explains the reason behind his disappointing performance in the IPL 2025 season:
There was a problem with my footwork, which my coaches pointed out. Unfortunately, we are judged only on the basis of numbers and how many runs we scored.pic.twitter.com/Nwa1QRJwCD
– KKR Caravan (@KkrKaravan) 12 November 2025
I am always ready for captaincy – Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh said he is ready to take up the leadership role. He said the team management has made it clear that the plan is to gradually groom him for future captaincy responsibilities under the leadership of an experienced leader.
“I am 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 managementHe told me that although there was already a capable and accomplished leader there, he wanted to gradually groom me for that responsibility,” Venkatesh Iyer said,
I am always ready for captaincy. When KKR appointed me vice-captain, it meant that they see me in a leadership role. But Rahane had a lot of international experience and KKR made that clear to me through our conversations.
-Venkatesh Iyer pic.twitter.com/p6dZHAjgty
– KKR Caravan (@KkrKaravan) 12 November 2025
I had absolutely no idea – Venkatesh Iyer on Royal Challengers Bangalore’s aggressive bid
Venkatesh Iyer admitted that he was not aware of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)’s interest in him during the IPL auction.
Iyer mentioned that with Dinesh Karthik and Rajat Patidar in the RCB setup, he assumed the franchise would have considered him for specific plans, but did not expect such an aggressive bid.
“No, I had no idea at all. Obviously there is Dinesh Karthik in RCB, with whom I have played for two years in KKR. So, he has watched me very closely; I have also practiced with him a lot.” So, I thought maybe he wanted to include me in his plan.Besides, Rajat was already in that team,” Iyer said,
“So, I thought maybe they had some plans for me, but I didn’t think they would suddenly work so hard for me, because what happens is that you follow a set pattern as a supervisor,” he added.
“I was in the same pattern, thinking the bidding would go on for a while and then stop, one team. But it was going on and within seconds I saw the Rs 20 crore figure and I was like, ‘Man, what’s happening?'”
V.Iyer on RCB’s interest in him:
“DK thought I’d fit into his plan…”@dineshkarthik Played an important role in scouting players, he deserves a life time contract with RCB #rcb #IPL2025 #playbold pic.twitter.com/VZnzFU8OvC
– ᴅᴋ (@coach_dk19) 12 November 2025
Also read: SRH issues official statement on Ishan Kishan’s future
