India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer grabbed eyeballs during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him for a massive amount of INR 23.75 crore to bring him back into the side as well. Despite earning a huge contract, Venkatesh Iyer has shared his desire to pursue further studies alongside cricket as well.

Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “If a new guy walks into the MP (Madhya Pradesh) team, the first thing I ask him is ‘padhai kar rahe ho ki nahi?’ (are you studying or not?). Education will stay with you till you die, a cricketer cannot play till 60. You have to understand that there is a shelf life. After that, if you want to really excel in life, you have to be educated,” he said.

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“Academics can give me the perfect switch-off from the game. I don’t want to be thinking of the game all the time, it adds pressure. If I can do two things at the same time, I will. Being an educated person, it helps me make better decisions on the field as well. There will be a situation when it won’t be just about the skill but whether you can make a better decision,” the KKR star said.

“I want cricketers to educate themselves not just with cricketing knowledge, but general knowledge as well. If you can complete your graduation or post-graduation, you definitely should,” the 29-year-old stated. “I am pursuing my PhD (finance) now. You will be interviewing me as Dr Venkatesh Iyer next time!” he said. “After the (2024 IPL) final, my mother had come onto the ground and Shah Rukh sir met her and praised me, saying, ‘he’s a very good child’. the happiness I saw in my mother’s eyes, I really cannot forget that moment,” he said.