“Those people are not even on my contact list” – Venkatesh Iyer remains thankful to a thankless IPL 2025 [Exclusive]

After Venkatesh Iyer blasted an unbeaten 52 off 26 balls, and hit the winning run, in the IPL final last year, he told this correspondent, “I also thought, ‘I don’t want to take the pressure. Either this game should be over in a flash, or I want to be sitting outside.’”

In sport, much like in life, there’s a delayed sense of inevitability about pressure. You might get away with it in your early days, but it catches up before you even realise. And you are doing well if you realise it.

“What I have taken back from this season is the fact that performance under pressure requires a special skillset,” Venkatesh Iyer says in a candid chat with Sportskeeda after an underwhelming IPL 2025.

He didn’t have any control over this pressure, though. It came upon him the moment KKR closed the deal at a whopping ₹23.75 crore in the mega auction last December. Whether the amount was too high became a raging debate among fans and experts alike. They forgot eventual champions RCB also bid ₹23.50 crore, indicating teams saw immense worth in the seam-bowling all-rounder.

The price tag became an albatross around his neck, with fans constantly weighing it against his returns. Yet, Iyer always made it a point to sign autographs for them while coming out of the Eden Gardens lobby. All previous accomplishments suddenly became null and void, and hard work wasn’t the currency he was being judged on. People didn’t seem to know or care that he split his webbing in the home match versus RR, with two games still to be played. The world pushed him to a morale-sapping corner, where he's become defensive to talk about it.

KKR also saw a leader in Venkatesh Iyer, someone who epitomises a team man. The left-hander has been more than happy to sacrifice personal runs and be shunted up and down the order as per team requirements and match situations. Against Kerala, in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, he came back out to bat at No. 9 with a nasty ankle injury, just so his skipper Shubham Sharma could reach fifty. Iyer scored 42 in the first innings and an unbeaten 70-ball 80 in the second, helping Madhya Pradesh save the match.

Almost all his responses are laden with the word ‘impact.’ It’s as if he tells the world that it’s not always the 52* off 26 but also the 10 off 4 that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Impact is what defined Iyer when he first burst onto the scene, so much so that he was picked for India after just 10 IPL matches. His T20I strike rates of 162.19 and 11 for batting and bowling, respectively, are a testament.

But it’s been more than three years since he last donned the India jersey. As pragmatic as he has always been, Venkatesh Iyer maintains he needs to build up his bowling workload to 15 overs a day in red-ball cricket to have a realistic chance of a comeback. The Impact Player rule has stifled his progress in the IPL, while his exploits elsewhere are not talked about much. His figures of 2/23 and 2/12 in the knockouts went a long way in MP finishing runners-up in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. By his own admission, he needs to improve the social media game.

Venkatesh Iyer recently launched his own sports-based brand, ‘Rushr’. But he is not rushed; he has come out of worse pitfalls. His preparation won’t change whether he receives 20 crore or 20 lakh. Unlike some detractors who constantly tallied players sold for a smaller amount, he doesn’t rest on what-ifs. He will forever remain thankful to this profession, which sometimes gets thankless.

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Excerpts from Venkatesh Iyer's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda

Venkatesh Iyer during a practice session at Eden Gardens

Q. A roller-coaster of a season with lots of ups and downs. A couple of months down the line, how do you look back at it?

Venkatesh Iyer: I think it’s important not to look back because, if you think about it too much, it will add a little bit of negativity. 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.

Q. When you talk about negativity or learnings, what exactly are you talking about?

Venkatesh Iyer: See, most of it is usually about performance only. Unfortunately or fortunately, what people only see or criticise is your performance. If your performance is good, everything will be good. And if it is not, then people will say all those things. But at the end of the day, what I have taken back from this season is the fact that performance under pressure requires a special skillset. It’s not about bat and ball all the time. So yeah, I have taken the positives, and whatever negatives were there, and I am working on them.

Q. I wanted to understand your emotions around that auction. What were you doing when the bid started?

Venkatesh Iyer: After a point, I did not watch the auction [laughs]. When you are with your team, you tend to enjoy the moment. But yeah, I understood that if the amount is big, the ask is big, the responsibility is big. Responsibility is not just in terms of runs to be scored or wickets to be picked – it’s about the role in the team and how you can create a bigger impact. So I did have that in mind. Also, with regard to my preparation, nothing changes. Be it ₹20 lakh or ₹20 crore, preparation won’t change. You have to do double the hard work as the previous year, regardless of the money. That day was very hectic but, post that, things were kind of back to normal.

Q. Several people constantly questioned the ₹23.75 crore price tag, thus putting unnecessary pressure on you. How did you deal with it all?

Venkatesh Iyer: 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.

Q. How did the KKR management give you that security or isolation from all the negative noise?

Venkatesh Iyer: They know the magnitude of it, obviously from experience. They have seen this a lot over the years. But as I told you, such big bucks don’t mean anything. They have made a team, they wanted the team to do well, and I am part of a team. And it is my duty to do well for them. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. But my aim is always to try and win as many games as possible for KKR.

Q. Could we have looked at the price tag as your years of hard work, disappointment coming to fruition?

Venkatesh Iyer: I would like to think so. But 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.”

Q. You are now the vice-captain of KKR. It’s just a tag at the end of the day. How did your inputs work out for the team?

Venkatesh Iyer: You’ve put it rightly, that it is just a tag. But sometimes, when you have that tag, it is also important to show the way. And like I said, it is not through just performance, but how you present yourself and how you carry yourself as a player. So that is something that was carefully thought of before making me the vice-captain. And now that the results are here and we’ve not done well, there are a lot of questions being asked. But as I told you, the people who had an impact on my life, who worked on my game and personality day in and day out, I am answerable to only them.

Q. Was this your first experience of an IPL opening ceremony?

Venkatesh Iyer: Yeah, it was. Shreya Ghoshal and her performances were unbelievable. That was my favourite part of the entire opening ceremony. And of course, Shah Rukh sir hosting it was the icing on the cake.

Virat Kohli and Rinku Singh groove to Bollywood songs with Shah Rukh Khan

Q. When you were going out to bat that night, were there these thoughts of people doubting you?

Venkatesh Iyer: Once the game starts, there will be thoughts until I go out to bat. But once I have taken guard, it is just about cricket – my preparation, what I have practiced, where I am with my mindset regarding that particular innings. Other than that, no thought comes up. Even with a new cricketer, he might feel all the pressure in the world. But once he takes guard, he tends to forget everything and focus on the ball which is coming to him.

Q. Krunal Pandya bowled a bouncer, and you got out the next ball. Did that sort of disrupt your concentration?

Venkatesh Iyer: Yeah, I kind of just wanted to protect my head, that’s why I called for the helmet. But for what KP bhai has done, he got one-up.

Q. At the Wankhede Stadium, where you have a fantastic record, you were dropped twice, and then you got out for 3. What goes on in a batter’s mind when they get a life?

Venkatesh Iyer: Whenever I get a life, I treat it like: okay, god has given me another opportunity. But then, I was dropped twice. And I thought it was definitely going to be my day. But unfortunately, I nicked one. So yeah, it was one of those days when I couldn’t make the most of my opportunities.

Q. 6 off 7 vs RCB, DNB vs RR, 3 off 9 vs MI – did the pressure mount here?

Venkatesh Iyer: No, I don’t think so. See, last year also, there were quite a few games where I scored well and I couldn’t go to bat in the next one. So the moment you understand that, whatever is happening there – even something like you being dropped – is being done for the best interests of the team, you become a team man. So part of me being who I am is always wanting to be a team man and doing whatever it takes for the team to do well.

Q. How do you shield your mind from all the negative things said on social media or in studios?

Venkatesh Iyer: A lot of people have opinions – good and bad. But I only take opinions from people who directly impact me. And of course, legends were talking in analysis. And not paying heed to them is not correct, but you should understand where they are coming from. It is important to understand the fact that it’s me who’s battling in that situation. So it is tough to deal with those opinions when things don’t go your way. I am sure all these legends must have gone through a similar phase. And they understand as well. When I met these people, they were extremely kind enough to tell me what was going wrong and how to kind of negate all those things. I do take the learnings and not the critics part of it. Social media, that is not in my control. Everyone has internet, everyone has some opinion or the other, and I am not wrong in ignoring them. But we are a country of 1.4 billion people, so it’s okay for them to show that they are not happy because I did not do well for the team they cheer for. We play for them and we wouldn’t exist if not for fans. Sometimes it does get abusive, but we are a country of passionate people and that passion comes out. But it’s fine – if you are taking the applause, you should be ready for the critics also.

Q. I have noticed you always signed autographs for fans while walking out of the Eden Gardens lobby.

Venkatesh Iyer: It is the presence of fans which keeps us going. We play for them, we play for their cheers and, unknowingly, we play for their validation also. Woh nahin hai, toh humlog nahin hai.

Q. Do you take therapy?

Venkatesh Iyer: No [laughs]. Professional failure is very common, it’s very normal. It’s time to start realising all these things. It’s just the mindset of how you look at a certain situation. I can look at a situation in a way that, “Okay, what if I failed, but I learnt so much. There is now an opportunity for me to make a grand comeback.” Or sometimes, I might sit in a corner and think, “Okay, I don’t deserve a single penny. I played so badly.” When you are free, you tend to think of all these things. When you get back to practice, it’s just a ball, a bat, and you. That’s what I am trying to do.

Q. KKR were thrashed at Wankhede after which you guys created that viral ‘Vartaman’ reel. Is entertainment a medium to move on from a loss?

Venkatesh Iyer: That was entirely my idea [laughs]. And these are different from what happens on the field. Having fun is also important. Rinku and I, we share a great camaraderie; we wanted to try this. And fortunately, we had a dancing legend with us, DJ, who loves to dance. And we actually shot that during the practice. I loved his vibe, I loved how he carried himself, so yeah it was great.

Q. You blasted 60 off 29 against SRH. How well did you sleep that night? You also followed it up with a 45 versus LSG.

Venkatesh Iyer: 60 against SRH was satisfying because we won. 45 felt incomplete because we should have won. Ajju bhai’s [Ajinkya Rahane] innings put us in a position from where we should have won. And I should have made the team win. It didn’t happen, so yeah, kind of feels bad. But as I told you, it was another learning for me.

Venkatesh Iyer smashed 7 boundaries and 3 sixes against SRH

Q. How bad did that 95 all out against the Punjab Kings hurt?

Venkatesh Iyer: That was the most painful moment in this IPL. To lose while chasing 111, it didn’t sit well with me. We shouldn’t have lost that game. So yeah, it kind of hurt a bit. But when games come thick and fast, you’ve got to forget it and move on.

Q. How do you deal with anger and frustration?

Venkatesh Iyer: To be honest, you have to learn as a professional cricketer how to deal with anger and things like that. Because there will be moments when you’d want something and it won’t happen. And most of the times, things won’t be in your control either. So the first step to being a professional cricketer, especially in India, is to deal with anger. Thankfully, I do understand it is a professional sport and things can happen and I have seen failures before. For me, listening to music or watching Tamil movies sets it right.

Q. KKR constantly shuffled their batting line-up. Rinku Singh batted No. 8 against LSG, Angkrish Raghuvanshi came out at No. 9 versus GT. As a vice-captain, what was the thinking behind the batting orders?

Venkatesh Iyer: It didn’t happen, it didn’t happen. What if Narine had clicked? What if Angkrish had scored 500 runs? What if I had scored 600 runs this season? We wouldn’t have been talking about these things. So these are all retrospective things that we can talk about. But at the end of the day, these are all team calls, and they just didn’t work out. If they did, everyone would have been happy.

Q. Which position are you most comfortable to bat in T20s? Because you like to dig deep and then launch an attack.

Venkatesh Iyer: Again, I cannot give you a direct answer [laughs]. Some people have understood my batting pattern as needing some time and then teeing off. But that is no answer to being a professional cricketer. But again, I’ll be comfortable wherever the team wants me.

Q. Could you ever imagine we’d be in the middle of war?

Venkatesh Iyer: Oh, that was very scary. But kudos to the Indian Army and everyone involved for ensuring we were all safe and negating it with harmony. We all heaved a sigh of relief.

Q. You had some fingers bandaged in the final two league matches. What happened?

Venkatesh Iyer: Yeah, I had a split webbing. I had four-five stitches on my left web. It happened while fielding in the Rajasthan Royals game.

Q. After the final match against SRH, how did you guys and the management reflect on the entire season?

Venkatesh Iyer: Obviously, it didn’t go our way. And we were the first ones to accept that we didn’t play well. And that is the hallmark of a good team. We accepted that we didn’t play the brand of cricket that we should have played. The moment we accept, we are ready for improvement. And that is what keeps every cricketer going.

Q. After every match, all players would catch up with seniors and coaches from the opposition. Did you receive any such valuable advice from anyone?

Venkatesh Iyer: Yeah I happened to speak to a lot of people. I had conversations with Ricky Ponting, I spoke to Dada [Sourav Ganguly]. Obviously everyone understood that things were not going my way, and everyone kind of asks you to keep doing your thing. I spoke to DK and he told me, “It’s okay. Just keep doing your process and things will come.”

Q. In the 2024-25 Mushtaq Ali, you took 7 wickets, bowled in 9 of the 10 games and consistently got MP over the line. How happy were you with your performance?

Venkatesh Iyer: I could have done better, to be very honest. I had moments that I could have made the team win, especially the final. But all in all, it was a good tournament for me, because we made the summit clash. Like I told you, what matters to me is what the team has done.

Q. You came out to bat with a twisted ankle against Kerala in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. What was going through your mind, considering you have a bad history with ankles?

Venkatesh Iyer: That was the only reason why I decided to walk off, because I have a very bad history of ankle injuries. But one thing that kept me going was the fight that Shubham Sharma was showing. That guy was showing a lot of heart. I wanted to score some runs with him so that he could get to his fifty or hundred or whatever. And not just MP, whenever I play for a team and I see people struggle or do a lot of hard work, the least you can do is just go there and stand with them.

Q. You were a beast in the second innings, scoring 80 not out off 70 balls.

Venkatesh Iyer: We were put in a very good position by the team. So I had the license to go out there and do a little bit of T20 practice [tongue firmly in cheek]. And it worked out for me.

Q. How serious was the injury?

Venkatesh Iyer: It took a couple of weeks for me to get back to normalcy.

Q. You played only the first two matches of the 2025 Madhya Pradesh Premier League. Did you have any injury?

Venkatesh Iyer: Yeah, in the second game, I got hit at the same spot where I had the split web. So I wasn’t allowed to play by the physio, because I already had that injury and it could have gotten worse.

Q. You had an honest admission in 2024 that you weren’t ready to make your India comeback yet. Now that you are bowling regularly, where do those ambitions stand?

Venkatesh Iyer: In terms of where I am at with my fitness, I am very happy. I am working with Vidya Sagar. So once I am fit to give 15 overs a day to the Ranji team, then I can be really confident about things further.

Q. Do you think you need more runs?

Venkatesh Iyer: Definitely. Who doesn’t? You've got to keep scoring runs. And it’s not about just runs, it’s about impactful runs. The more runs I get with a better impact, I think I can surely stage a comeback.

Q. Do you thus consciously try to bring in more aggression to your batting, even in red-ball cricket?

Venkatesh Iyer: The way the game is being played and changing all the time, you can play just orthodox Test cricket. So it is important for me to understand what I can bring to the table that is a little different. And say, my team has players who are able to leave balls and dig deep. So if I can score quick runs, it’ll be good for the team.

Q. You are a premier batter in the side. Why do you bat so low down at Nos. 6 and 7 in the Ranji Trophy?

Venkatesh Iyer: It’s about where I fit the best for the team. Say, if I bowl 10-12 overs, I also need time to recover and get my stepping right. But our team is one where we change our batting order quite a bit, depending on the situation, the need for a left-right combination. And when it comes to red-ball cricket, you know how Chandu sir [Chandrakant Pandit] is, right!? You can never question his plans. He comes up with unbelievable strategies that can really outwit the opposition. So I really, really enjoy playing red-ball cricket under Chandu sir.

Q. You launched your own brand, Rushr. Tell us more about it?

Venkatesh Iyer: Rushr is a sports-based brand where you get quality sunscreen, face wash, body wash. And our hero product is something called an ‘Instant Charger.’ It is a caffeine-based supplement which gives you instant energy. And it’s not for only athletes, it’s for people who wish to be athletes. It’s a revolutionary brand and I hope people love it.

Q. So many global stars are now taking the franchise route. How do you look at this money versus country debate?

Venkatesh Iyer: Nothing can beat the glory of playing for your country – absolutely nothing. That passion, that level of satisfaction, cannot be matched. But see, this is subjective. Everyone likes to live life their own way. I have no idea what is going on with the West Indies cricket board. But players must be going through something to take those decisions. A player will always choose what is in their best interest. And I feel, whatever cricket you are playing, I like the fact that you get to play for a team. Your actions impact a team. There is nothing more beautiful than that.

Q. There are reports doing the rounds about your trade to SRH. Is that true?

Venkatesh Iyer: I have got absolutely no clue. There has been nothing at all from the KKR management also.

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