He gave a glimpse of the incoming carnage.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer put up a scintillating batting performance in an intra-squad practice game earlier today (March 15) ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025).
Venkatesh, who was acquired by KKR at the IPL 2025 auction for a staggering amount of INR 23.75 crores, gave a glimpse of the incoming carnage.
Playing for team Gold against team Purple, the dynamic left-hander played a fearless innings, where he blasted five boundaries and six maximums to race to fifty and eventually retired hurt on 61* off 25 balls. Although he was dropped twice, Venkatesh ensured to continue his onslaught and even reached his fifty with a stylish six.
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Despite playing a crucial role in helping KKR win their third title last season, Venkatesh wasn’t retained by the franchise. However, the 30-year-old all-rounder got his faith repaid when KKR broke the bank to acquire him. The KKR management further showed their trust in the Madhya Pradesh cricketer by naming him the vice-captain for the next season.
Venkatesh was their third-highest run-scorer in IPL 2024 with 370 runs in 13 innings at an average of 46.25 and four half-centuries.
Venkatesh has proven his versatility by excelling in various roles, whether it’s opening the batting, finishing innings, or contributing with a few seam-up overs to maintain team balance. KKR recognizes him as their most clutch player in high-pressure situations, as is evident by his consistent fifties in every knockout match he has played, and will now look for more consistency across roles going into the IPL 2025 edition.
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