Venkatesh Iyer underperforming in IPL 2025 due to price tag pressure: RP Singh
RP Singh feels that Venkatesh Iyer is failing to perform regularly because he is trying to justify the hefty price tag in IPL 2025 for KKR. The defending champions surprised everyone by shelling out Rs. 23.75 crore rupees for Venkatesh during the IPL 2025 auction. However, the southpaw has struggled during the tournament as he has scored just 135 runs in 8 matches at an average of 22.5 and a strike-rate of 139.17.advertisementVenkatesh was slammed by fans for his lack of intent during the chase against GT in KKR's last game. Speaking exclusively to India Today ahead of the TATA IPL 2025 'Revenge Week' clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, JioStar expert Singh said that KKR made a bit of a misjudgement during the auction with the bid for Venkatesh.The former pacer feels that it wouldn't be best for KKR to drop the MP batter right now and feels he can come into form slowly with each game. Singh feels that the price tag is playing on Venkatesh's mind at the moment and he may be overthinking that he needs to single-handedly win the championship for his side.
"This is a slightly tough question because when a player is picked at such a high price in the auction, somewhere in your thoughts, you're considering him either as your main player or as a potential captaincy material. But here, he has turned out to be neither. So I feel that there has been a bit of a misjudgement from KKR during the auction, at the table during selection."advertisement"You let go of your best captain, and now he's doing well captaining another team. So I don't think it's a great option to drop this player now. Because you've already given him a good number of matches. Form issues can happen with any player, but usually, the more matches you play, the better your form gets gradually. Dropping him isn't really a solution.""What could be happening is that the amount of money he was bought for is playing on his mind. Maybe he's thinking, 'I was bought for such a huge amount, I must perform and take my team to the championship. That over-expectation might be creating pressure," said Singh.Venkatesh as an opener?Venkatesh started his career with KKR as an opener and Singh feels it could be a way to solve KKR's batting order issues."No, this isn't a bad idea. In fact, it's a good thought — to reduce one foreign player and let Venkatesh Iyer open. I feel Narine should definitely be in the team because his batting performances become important at times.""So maybe Venkatesh and Narine can open together, and they can bring in someone like Powell in the middle order to use his power-hitting there. So this option isn't bad at all."advertisementWhile Singh admitted that the decision ultimately lies with the team management, they could open with Venkatesh and Sunil Narine as they have already invested a lot in the MP batter."It depends on how the management is thinking, because many times the coaches and support staff assess things based on current form seen in the nets and the surrounding scenarios. That's something we can't really see sitting outside.""But yes, this option of making Venkatesh open — I think it's worth trying. You've already invested so much time in him, so why not let him open the innings?" said Singh.Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!Tune InMust Watch
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