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Rs 23.75 Crore Star To Be Released Or Traded? KKR Batter Finally Breaks Silence

Rs 23.75 Crore Star To Be Released Or Traded? KKR Batter Finally Breaks Silence

NDTV2 days ago
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Venkatesh Iyer finally broke his silence on reports of a possible trade to Sunrisers Hyderabad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Venkatesh found himself in the headlines after he was picked for a mammoth Rs 23.75 crore by KKR in the IPL 2025 auction. The huge price tag was the result of a heated bidding war between KKR and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, a disappointing show in the competition resulted in massive criticism from both fans as well as experts. Reports soon surfaced about KKR possibly releasing him or a trade move to some other franchise but Venkatesh had a clear answer about the reports and speculations.
"I have got absolutely no clue. There has been nothing at all from the KKR management also," Venkatesh told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview.
The criticism became a constant for the cricketer during IPL 2025 as he finished the season with just 142 runs. The price tag did not help as social media was flooded with memes and comments about his performance. However, he revealed how he coped with it all during the competition.
"People who had these questions are not even on my contact list. So why do I have to even think about what they are thinking? It's my life, my game, my career. And it's my team that has chosen to spend so much on me. So these things don't phase me. See, for a boy who wanted to just play IPL cricket, even ₹20 lakh would sometimes feel like a significant amount. And over the years, this is what I've learnt. Not just me, but all the cricketers have learnt this: there are a lot of eyes on you, but it's important to know what to pay heed to. People who have had a direct impact on my life, I am answerable to only them."
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