Kolkata Knight Riders surprised everyone when they didn’t retain Venkatesh Iyer on IPL Retention Day. The southpaw will now go under the hammer and is expected to fetch big bucks in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. Iyer has been a strong and dependable top-order batsman for KKR over the years, and teams will be desperate to lay their hands on the ace southpaw.
As things stand, only two teams will be able to break the bank for Venkatesh Iyer in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. These include Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings as they have the most budget. On the other hand, the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders too will be on the hunt to re-buy their player.
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Kolkata Knight Riders
First things first, Kolkata Knight Riders will be desperately trying to get back their former player. The dynamics are quite simple. The defending champions are desperate to retain their star players. In such a way, the team can retain their core setup without many changes.
After failing to retain Shreyas Iyer, KKR will be desperate to get a top-order batter, and, who better than their former player who has been a part of the team since IPL 2022?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Heading into the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru has a strong purse. This means the Bengaluru outfits can spill some cash to get Venkatesh Iyer. And buying Iyer makes sense for RCB. The team needs a top-order batter who can be a perfect fit in the setup after the departure of former skipper Faf du Plessis.
Venky Iyer can form an incredible partnership with Virat Kohli. The right-left-handed combination will work wonders for RCB with the short ground at M Chinnaswamy making it easy for the southpaw to slam huge sixes.
Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings have the most remaining purse remaining before the IPL 2025 mega auction. The team managed to retain just 2 uncapped players, meaning they will go for a complete rebuild at the auction. And this can be a perfect opportunity for Venky Iyer. The southpaw can earn up huge bucks with PBKS will to spill their cash.
Venkatesh Iyer Stats in IPL over the years
| Year | Mat | Runs | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
| 2024 | 14 | 370 | 46.25 | 158.8 | 0 | 4 | 35 | 19 |
| 2023 | 14 | 404 | 28.86 | 145.85 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 21 |
| 2022 | 12 | 182 | 16.55 | 107.69 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 7 |
| 2021 | 10 | 370 | 41.11 | 128.47 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 14 |
The post 3 Teams that can target Venkatesh Iyer in IPL 2025 mega auction appeared first on Inside Sport India.