Venkatesh Iyer has expressed his heartfelt desire to continue representing the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in future editions of the Indian Premier League, despite being released ahead of the 2026 season. The all-rounder, who KKR bought for a massive ₹23.75 crore in the 2025 auction—a decision that surprised many—was among several prominent names let go by the franchise this year.
Along with Iyer, KKR released Andre Russell (₹12 crore), Quinton de Kock (₹3.6 crore), Moeen Ali (₹2 crore), Anrich Nortje (₹6.5 crore), Spencer Johnson (₹2.8 crore), and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (₹2 crore). Reflecting on his journey with the Knight Riders, Iyer thanked the management for backing him through the years and made it clear that the purple and gold still hold a special place in his heart.
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“For players like us, the biggest privilege is getting the opportunity to play in the IPL. It doesn’t matter which team picks me—I will always give my absolute best. But if I ask my heart, I would still want to play for KKR,” Venkatesh Iyer said in an interview with CricTracker. “I’ve already won a championship with them, and I want to add more glory to the franchise that showed so much faith in me.”
🚨 IPL KKR UPDATE 🚨
Venkatesh Iyer: I am talking to KKR. I am still in touch with head coach Abhishek Nair. We are all eagerly waiting for the auction, let’s see what happens.#IPL2026 #KKR @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/H9jIDcjbGq
— Cricket Central (@ramesh__yadav01) November 19, 2025
At the same time, Venkatesh Iyer remains fully open to joining any of the nine other teams if the auction takes him elsewhere. He emphasised that he brings more than just batting and bowling to the table, highlighting his readiness to contribute leadership and tactical inputs whenever required.
“If not KKR, then anywhere else. Everyone knows that wherever I go, I will give my best—whether as a batter, bowler, or even in a leadership capacity,” he added.
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Venkatesh Iyer has played 62 IPL matches so far, amassing 1,468 runs at an average of 29.96 and a strike rate of 137.32. His tally includes 12 fifties and a memorable century—104 against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. With the ball, he has three wickets to his name, with an economy rate of 10.59.
