He is taking all the right steps ahead of next year's IPL by proving his utility in SMAT.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star Venkatesh Iyer gave a testament to his prowess with an all-round display in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) to help his team Madhya Pradesh qualify for the semi-finals.
Venkatesh, who recently saw his stocks skyrocket during last month’s Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) auction defnitely lived upto his lofty price tag in the domestic T20 tournament. The 29-year-old became the third-most expensive buy at the auction in Jeddah and the fourth-highest in IPL history after KKR secured his services for a whopping INR 23.75 crores.
Venkatesh is now taking all the right steps ahead of next year’s IPL by proving his utility in SMAT. During the quarterfinal match between Madhya Pradesh and Saurashtra, Iyer remained unbeaten on 38*(33) to take MP over the finishing line with ease in a chase of 174. Earlier with the ball as well, Venkatesh picked up two wickets from his 3 overs while bowling a relatively economical spell of 7.7 which earned him the Player of the Match award.
After KKR decided to splurge on Venkatesh Iyer, it is no secret that the club sees him as a future investment and expectedly in a bigger role. The defending champions have a crucial task of finding their next leader ahead of IPL 2025 and Venkatesh is one of the frontrunners for the role.
Furthermore, Iyer has spent four years with the KKR franchise and has worked with head coach Chandrakant Pandit during the latter’s stint with Madhya Pradesh.
On the other hand, KKR decided to bring in dynamic India batter Ajinkya Rahane, who can also be a strong captaincy contender. Rahane has already led the Indian team and has experience of captaining his state team Mumbai and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
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