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Venkatesh Iyer feels he is ready to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Making his debut for KKR in the 2021 season, Iyer slammed 370 runs to help KKR qualify for the playoffs.
The southpaw returned with 182 & 404 runs, respectively in the following seasons. In 2024, he scored 370 runs at a prolific average of 46.25, as KKR emerged as the champions.
However, Venkatesh Iyer couldn’t find retention from the franchise, as they utilized their quota to keep other players for the 2025 season. Nevertheless, KKR managed to bring him back to the squad for the forthcoming edition by shelling out INR 23.75 crore in the auction.
As per reports, Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane are two likely captaincy options for KKR in IPL 2025. Ahead of the season, Iyer interacted with ESPNcricinfo and expressed his readiness to serve as the leader of the side.
“Definitely. Definitely, I’m ready,” he said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo “Again, I’ve always said this: captaincy is just a tag. I believe in leadership. That is a bigger role to play, being a leader.”
“You don’t necessarily need the tag of a captain to be a leader in your dressing room. You need to set examples. You need to be a good role model, both on and off the field, which I am doing right now in MP,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to be that person. And if captaincy comes my way, I would definitely want to do it. There’s no ambiguity surrounded to this. I’ll definitely do it, if it comes my way. There is no reason not to do it,” he added.
How has Venkatesh Iyer fared in international cricket?
After a blockbuster IPL 2021 season, Venkatesh Iyer received his maiden India call-up. He made his international debut in a T20I fixture against New Zealand in November 2021.
A couple of months later, Iyer forayed into the ODI format as well. However, his last appearance for the side came soon in January 2022, with the side opting to go with spin all-rounders.
Venkatesh Iyer has played nine T20Is and two ODIs, while scoring 157 runs and picking up five wickets.
