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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
India's INR 23.75 crore star deletes people from contact list after disastrous IPL: ‘It's my life, my game, my career'
For the large part of IPL 2025, wherever Venkatesh Iyer went, the discussion around his price tag followed. And most of that was negative. Right from the moment the hammer went down in the Kolkata Knight Riders' favour for Venkatesh Iyer in the mega auction, eyes questioning the move of shelling out a whopping ₹23.75 crores have been relentless. It's a staggering amount. It would have easily become the highest bid in most other IPL auctions -- it was the third costliest behind Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer this year. Venkatesh Iyer (centre) celebrates with India cricketers(ANI) The added masala in the story was the fact that KKR, the defending champions, did not hold their trophy-winning Shreyas Iyer and only bid for him till ₹10 crore in the auctions. Did they want Venkatesh Iyer as captain? It was widely discussed on social media, and the scrutiny was so intense that it started weighing Venkatesh down. The left-handed batter, who made an impact in the second half of IPL 2021, got off to a torrid start in IPL 2025. As runs dried up from his bat, the weight of his price tag became unbearable, not because of the management or self-doubts but because of the constant outside noise. It reached a point where Venkatesh Iyer had to delete some people from his contact list. "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?" Venkatesh Iyer, who last represented India in February 2022, told Sportskeeda when asked about the criticism he faced during the last IPL because of his price tag. Vebkatesh scored just 142 runs in 11 matches this year at a strike rate of 139. Apart from a match-winning 60, he did not have much to show. The presence of the Impact Player rule meant there was no need for KKR to use his bowling on a regular basis. But the lanky all-rounder is not bothered about the negativity being spread about his price tag. 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," he said. Venkatesh Iyer was dropped from the XI for a couple of games during IPL 2025, but the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder insists that the KKR management never lost faith in him. In fact, KKR CEO Venky Mysore did his best to play down the ₹23.75 price. "It's not about just the money, it's about where I fit in their scheme of things. Venky sir once told me something, which I felt made a lot of sense. He said, 'At the end of the day, you are given 120 units to build a team. Once the team is built, it doesn't matter how many units you have spent on what. It is a team that has been made now, that's it," he added. When asked about his takeaways from the last season where KKR could not make it to the playoffs, Venkatesh said: "Yeah, I have taken the learnings, taken the positives, and whatever mistakes happened. But yeah, there were a lot of things that have come up that I feel hindered my performance. But all in all, good one or bad one, winning the trophy or not winning it, scoring 600-700 runs, that and all is different. It was a season full of learnings, and that is what is constant."
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Throwback: When Shah Rukh Khan played a cricket match with Vijay Mallya
Shah Rukh Khan is not only the 'Badshaah' of Bollywood but also a big cricket lover. As the proud owner of the IPL team 'Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR). Fans often see Shah Rukh Khan and his family cheering loudly from the stands, celebrating their team's wins. But it is very rare to see the 'Pathaan' actor actually playing cricket. One special day changed that. Shah Rukh Khan vs Vijay Mallya On May 14, 2011, a charity cricket match took place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This match was between two teams owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Mallya, who was then a billionaire businessman but is now a fugitive. It was a fun and friendly game, known as United Breweries vs Bollywood. The match was played by the management teams of KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Shah Rukh Khan was seen batting and bowling, showing his love for the game. Vijay Mallya was also there, fielding, along with his son Siddharth Mallya. This match created a brief but interesting rivalry between the two owners. Shah Rukh Khan's next big film: 'King' Apart from cricket, Shah Rukh Khan is busy preparing for his next film called 'King'. This film is very special because it will feature his daughter Suhana Khan for the first time on screen. Fans are excited to see the father-daughter duo acting together. As per reports, 'King' will also star Deepika Padukone in an important role. Rani Mukerji is reportedly playing Suhana's mother. The film is said to include big names like Abhishek Bachchan, who might be the villain, along with Anil Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Arshad Warsi, and Jackie Shroff. The movie is being made on a grand scale and is expected to hit theatres in 2026. Shah Rukh Khan, Kiara Advani, Diljit Dosanjh Bring Indian Swag To Met Gala 2025 Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
NDTV
06-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Stampede vs Mild Lathicharge: KKR And RCB's Mega, But Different Celebrations
The scenes were similar, if not even more grand in some ways. A team had won the Indian Premier League after a five-year wait and a massive celebration was organised, with free entry into the stadium. This one had a victory parade and even Bollywood superstar power in the form of Shah Rukh Khan, but there were no major incidents, barring a lathicharge towards the end. Wednesday's stampede - in which 11 were killed and 47 injured - after fans gathered to cheer the long-awaited crowning of Royal Challengers Bengaluru as IPL champions, has brought the first such grand celebrations by an IPL team into focus. The internet is abuzz about the Kolkata Knight Riders' mega victory lap in Kolkata in 2012, especially since Team India Coach Gautam Gambhir - who was the KKR captain at the time - said after the Bengaluru stampede: "I was never a believer in roadshows." "I had the same statement to make even after winning in 2007; we should never have roadshows. I think the lives of people are far more important than this, and I will continue to say that. Maybe in the future we should try not to hold roadshows, instead we can do it in the stadium. It's very tragic what happened yesterday, and my heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives," Mr Gambhir said on Thursday. A Waiting Period? Unlike the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, whose celebrations were held just a day after they won the final on Tuesday, the Kolkata Knight Riders organised their victory lap on May 29, 2012, two days after they defeated the Chennai Super Kings. A five-km victory parade was organised from Hazra Crossing to the Writers' Building and estimates suggest at least 1 lakh people had turned up. Crowds lined the streets and many more watched from rooftops and balconies as the players and team owner Shah Rukh Khan travelled on an open-top bus. The players then went to the Eden Gardens, where there was free entry and every seat was taken. The players and Mr Khan danced on stage, and the team was felicitated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Reports suggest that a lathicharge had to be carried out at one point, leading to some minor injuries, but there were no major incidents. The RCB bash, on the other hand, turned out to be a disaster. Despite only two points being approved for the celebrations - Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature complex, and the Chinnaswamy Stadium - and no victory parade, a stampede broke out. The stampede occurred outside the 35,000-capacity Chinnaswamy Stadium, where over a lakh fans had gathered, reportedly after a rumour of free passes being given. The 11 dead included a 14-year-old. Action Multiple first information reports (FIRs) have been filed and four people, including an RCB official, have been arrested. Five police officers, including the Bengaluru police commissioner, have been suspended and the political secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been removed. While the Congress-led government has said it is doing everything possible to help the families of the victims and fix accountability, the opposition BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) have accused it of scapegoating the police officers.
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First Post
28-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Rahane says hefty price tag not to blame for Venkatesh's poor IPL 2025 run: ‘Attitude doesn't change on the field'
After starring in Kolkata Knight Riders' title-winning season last year, which helped him fetch Rs 23.75 crore in the auction, Venkatesh Iyer failed to impress this season as he endured his worst season with the bat in the IPL since debuting in 2021. read more Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane maintained that while Venkatesh Iyer had failed to meet expectations in the 2025 Indian Premier League, his price tag did not have anything to do with it. AP/PTI Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane came to all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer's defence after the latter signed off from the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) with just 142 runs in 11 outings, his worst performance in an IPL season since he made his debut in 2021. Rahane added that while the dearth of match-winning performances from Venkatesh and other key members of the batting lineup was a key reason behind defending champions KKR finishing eighth out of 10 teams, he didn't think the all-rounder's hefty price tag had anything to do with his loss of form. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Someone's not going to work doubly harder if he's getting Rs 20-plus crore, or someone's not going to work less harder when he's getting one, two, three crore, whatever it is,' Rahane said after KKR suffered a 110-run thrashing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final match of the season. '…your attitude doesn't change on the field. You know, that's what matters. As a player, you only focus on the controllable things. And I felt Venkatesh Iyer was actually focusing on the controllable things. 'I thought his attitude was fantastic. One off season, that can happen to any player. So it's not about the price tag. I don't think he was thinking about his price tag at all. But just one of those seasons that we had to go through,' Rahane, who was a last-minute buy for KKR in the IPL auction, added. Venkatesh had played an important role in helping KKR win their third title under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy last year, scoring 370 runs at an average and strike rate of 46.25 and 158.80 respectively and collecting four half-centuries along the way. Also Read | KKR's Venkatesh Iyer, Chandrakant Pandit likely to be released after IPL 2025 His contributions with the bat helped him in November with the Knight Riders management opting to buy him back over captain Shreyas after releasing both into the auction pool. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Shreyas was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 26.75 crore and was later named their captain, and would lead from the front in helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Rahane blames poor run of key batters for KKR's underwhelming season Venkatesh's poor run, along with the loss of form of several other key batters, proved to be a key reason behind KKR's underwhelming run this season with Rahane and Co finishing with five wins and seven defeats, with two games rained off. 'It's just that for us as a team, three-four guys were out of form. Where we faltered was at the batting end. As a batting unit, collectively, we couldn't do well,' Rahane told reporters. 'Unfortunately, two-three players were going through that phase for us. And that was the reason we couldn't do well…But again, they are pretty much experienced enough to handle this situation. 'I'm sure they will come back stronger next year…Rinku (Singh), Raman (Ramandeep Singh), all the players, they will learn from the mistakes and come back stronger,' the Mumbaikar added. Also Read | Sehwag tears into KKR skipper Rahane: 'It is not written anywhere that a captain…' Rahane, however, showered praise on the bowling unit, especially for their clinical performances in the away games against Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The wickets were really good for the batters. But I thought, bowling throughout the season, as a bowling unit, we did really well…all the bowlers who have played, their thinking was really clear.' 'Two-three games could have been slightly different' The 36-year-old, summarising his team's performance this season, also felt the outcome of the season could have been very different had KKR not crumbled in a couple of matches, especially in the match against PBKS in Mullanpur in which they were bundled out for 95 while chasing a meagre 112-run target, with Andre Russell being the last man dismissed. 'See, this season, I think for us, (it has been) kind of an up and down. We had our moments. We had our chances and I said that earlier also during those matches, as a unit, we didn't play well, really well,' Rahane said. 'But again, this format, that's how it goes, you know…the Punjab Kings game, LSG game and also the CSK game, I thought those two-three games could have been slightly different. 'It's not easy when you win a championship and, you know, come into the next season, defending the championship, it's not that easy. As a team, we tried our best. What I can say is, we'll come back really stronger next year,' Rahane added in his final presser of the season. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
KKR miss Gautam Gambhir's aura, Shreyas Iyer's midas touch; surrender meekly
Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine with captain Ajinkya Rahane and Harshit Rana. (PTI Photo) One of the biggest questions going into IPL 2025 was whether defending champions KKR could cope without their talisman Gautam Gambhir . The ex-India batter had resigned from his role as KKR's mentor to take on the responsibility of being the national team's head coach, throwing fans in a state of panic. The Kolkata-based franchise had earlier struggled massively following Gambhir's exit as captain, reaching the playoffs only twice. However, the ex-India batter's return as KKR's mentor in IPL 2024 transformed the franchise completely, converting them from an under-confident unit to one capable of beating the best. Unheralded players like Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora stepped up as the Kolkata-based franchise won the IPL for the first time since the 2014 season. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Gambhir's departure was further followed by the exit of KKR's IPL 2024 winning captain Shreyas Iyer , due to a disagreement over the retention sum. Losing such key figures in a short duration can be a stern challenge for the best which KKR soon realised. A paucity of proven candidates for the captain's role forced the franchise to attempt a left-field move by handing Ajinkya Rahane the captaincy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo KKR further assigned ex-West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo the massive responsibility of filling in Gambhir's shoes. Who's that IPL player? However, things certainly did not go in favour of the franchise despite Rahane attempting to encourage an aggressive approach. One of the biggest factors behind KKR's success in IPL 2024 was the focus on performing as a unit. However, the same simply went missing in IPL 2025. KKR recorded three wins in their opening seven matches, failing to step up even during the business end. Two consecutive wins against DC and RR sparked hopes of a turnaround, which never transpired as the Rahane-led side ended their campaign with a 110-run loss against SRH. One of the biggest factors behind KKR's dominance in IPL 2024 was the form of Sunil Narine, who smashed 488 runs at a strike rate of 180.74, chipping in with 17 wickets. However, Narine's performance suffered a sharp decline as he barely managed to score 246 runs, accounting for 12 dismissals. KKR also badly missed the presence of opener Phil Salt, who'd scored 435 runs at a strike rate of 182.01 in IPL 2024, with the decision to pick Quinton de Kock failing miserably. Ajinkya Rahane reflects on KKR's inconsistent IPL 2025, backs under-fire Venkatesh Iyer Even the likes of Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Venkatesh Iyer had a forgettable campaign. Iyer was signed for Rs 23.75 crore in the auction, but finished with just 142 runs in 11 matches while Rinku accumulated 206 runs in 13 games. Ramandeep, who'd emerged as a reliable campaigner in IPL 2024, barely scored 47 runs in 11 matches. Russell's reputation as a match-winner further suffered a hit after accumulating 167 runs in 13 games, with a duck in the final clash summing up his season. Fans have also questioned head coach Chandrakant Pandit's inability to implement his philosophy in Gambhir's absence. While Vidarbha managed to pull off a win in the bleakest of situations under Pandit, the same certainly didn't reflect this season. Poll Will KKR be able to bounce back in IPL 2026? Yes, they have potential No, they need major changes Maybe, depends on the strategy Cannot predict KKR's fortunes with the ball seemed reliant on Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, who was the joint top-wicket taker with 17 dismissals. The franchise failed to find a suitable replacement for Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, with the likes of Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana proving quite expensive, recording economy rates of 10.11 and 10.18 respectively. Arora and Rana's lack of penetration with vital dismissals especially raised eyebrows, despite finishing their campaigns with 17 and 15 wickets respectively. "There was a thrill factor that I miss. Gambhir has an aura in the way he carries the team forward," revealed Rana, showcasing the India head coach's impact. KKR will definitely need to rethink their approach and may well rue their decision not to retain Shreyas, considering his success at PBKS, who've reached the playoffs. "KKR have a lot of pieces to figure out. The fact that they've shelled out as much as they have for Venkatesh and not used him properly gives you a lot to think about. A lot of realigning needs to happen. There's been a lot of confusion," said JioStar expert Robin Uthappa, summing up the concerns plaguing the dethroned defending champions. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
