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Released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after being bought for a whopping ₹23.75 crores in the previous auction, Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer struck a timely half-century in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament on Tuesday.
Opening the innings, Iyer's 70 off just 43 balls, studded with eight fours and two sixes, helped Madhya Pradesh reach 225/8 despite a middle order collapse against Punjab in an Elite Super League Group A clash at the DY Patil Academy in Ambi, Pune.
The timing of the knock is significant as Iyer's fifty-plus score came just hours before the auction in Abu Dhabi, thus sending a reminder to all the franchises for a need of an all-rounder.
Iyer made his IPL debut in 2021 Dubai leg for KKR after the tournament was shifted out of India midway due to COVID-19 pandemic. Opening the batting, Iyer's impactful knocks played a crucial role in the franchise's complete turnaround before losing to Chennai Super Kings in the final.
The breakout campaign helped Iyer with his Indian team debut as the southpaw made a name for himself as one of the dependable all-rounders in the country at the moment. However, despite being an all-rounder, Iyer has always been used a batter and more so after the inception of impact-player rule. The highlight of Iyer's IPL career came in 2023, when he scored 400-plus runs including a hundred.
He had also scored 370 runs in a triumphant IPL 2024, following which he was bought for a whopping amount during the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, the burden of the price tag affected Iyer's performance, forcing the three-time champions to release him.
A trusted figure within the setup, Iyer has also led KKR on occasions and was even discussed as a potential captain last season before Ajinkya Rahane was handed the role. However, IPL 2025 proved underwhelming, with Iyer managing just 142 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 139.22, a dip that ultimately led to his release.
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