‘There were talks about me being in India’s T20WC team but instead…’: KKR vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer stays in present

Newly-appointed Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer has learnt to stay in the present the hard way. The KKR all-rounder who was fast-tracked into the Indian T20I side in 2021 after a splendid second half of IPL 2020, was in the reckoning for a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad but that thought plagued him from concentrating on his current outings.

Iyer did not have a great IPL in 2022 and he also lost his spot in the Indian white-ball squads after playing 9 T20Is and two ODIs.

Iyer, however made a strong comeback. He is yet to get his spot back in the national side but in IPL, he emerged as one of KKR’s most-trusted batters. The left-hander scored 404 runs in IPL 2023 at a strike rate of 145.85 and backed that up with 370 runs at a strike rate of 158.80 next year. In 2023, he also became the first KKR batter after Brendon McCullum to score an IPL century.

KKR could not retain him after their title winning run last year but the defending champions spent a whopping ₹23.75 crore in the mega auction to get him back.

He was also appointed the vice-captain of the side.

Talking about his journey to vice captain of the team, he added, “In 2022, there were talks about me being in the [T20] World Cup squad. Instead of focusing on my present matches, I started thinking about the World Cup. In the end, I missed out on both. That experience was a turning point. It taught me the value of focusing on the present, a lesson reinforced when an injury sidelined me for six to eight months. That phase taught me a lot about being grateful. Sometimes, in the pursuit of something extraordinary, we forget to appreciate what we already have. And these are not my words—Shah Rukh Khan told me this”, Iyer said in Backstage with Boria.

KKR will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign on March 22 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens. Preparations are in full swing, and many eyes will be Iyer now that he is officially part of the leadership group.

“The IPL 2025 auction was a life-changing moment for me. The middle-class guy in me was very happy with the money! I would not lie. However, as the bidding war between KKR and RCB escalated, it brought a mix of emotions. One way to look at it is to feel happy that I’ve done something good in my career for teams to invest in me. Another way, which I think is the right one, is to realise that this comes with a lot of responsibility. If I say there is no pressure, I would be lying. Of course, there is pressure. And there has to be pressure. But once the match starts, none of it matters. Whether I am a ₹20 lakh player or a ₹20 crore player, my job remains the same”, he added.

Iyer had special appreciation for his home crowd.

“To step onto the field at Eden Gardens, which is like a temple for me, and see thousands of fans cheering for you and your team—there’s no greater feeling for a cricketer. It feels like 70-80,000 people are behind you, supporting you with every action you take. That energy brings out the best in you.”

Speaking on team owner Shahrukh Khan, he added, “More than a franchise owner, he gives off an elder brother vibe. He makes you feel like he is always there for you. A franchise owner does not have to be so friendly and humble, especially someone like him, a global superstar. But he is so down to earth. When you meet him, you feel like you want to do something special for him. You feel like, ‘No, I want to do something for this man. I want to do something special for Shah Rukh bhai.”