Venkatesh Iyer, pursuing a PhD in finance, has to deal a fair bit with corporate stuff, shares and other related matters. But the Kolkata Knight Riders too occupy a lot of his mind space.

The left-handed batsman, who can double up as a seamer all-rounder, had played his role well in the Knight Riders’ title-winning run in the IPL last year. Ahead of IPL 2025, the Knight Riders retained him at a huge price of ₹23.75 crore before announcing him as the deputy to skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

While Iyer is elated with his price tag, he also understands the responsibility that comes along with it.

“Who wouldn’t be happy to get such a big amount? When I look at my bank balance, it does make me happy. But my mom told me, ‘They have shown so much of confidence in you, paid you so much money, so you need to take responsibility’.

“Money is one thing, but responsibility is a bigger one,” the Knight Riders vice-captain, who also aspires to play Test cricket, said at the Trailblazers Conclave at a city hotel on Friday.

The Knights would hope for a successful defence of their title. Iyer, though, doesn’t want that thought to add extra pressure on his teammates.

“We’ve retained quite a few members from the last set. But again, we don’t want to put pressure on ourselves by thinking that we are defending the title. Why don’t we think of it as a new idea and that we just have to go out there and execute it?

“In fact, that’s how we are thinking about it. I’m sure that’s how the entire team is thinking about it because there’s already so much pressure on us. Why do we
add further pressure by thinking about the need to defend the title?

“All I’m thinking about is, this is the beginning of a new season. So, why not think of it as the first time we’re getting together and playing?

“We know what our team can do. We know that we have got complementary skills, we know our players, how they behave and how they play on the field. So that kind of gives us an advantage going into the tournament,” Iyer explained.

The 30-year-old also expressed his keenness to play the role of a floater in the batting line-up. “That is also a specialised role, which not everyone can play. It kind of opens up a new dimension for me in my game,” Iyer said.

“I think it increases your adaptability and opens up a lot of avenues for you. You get the opportunity to contribute in multiple facets of the game.”

Owner-cum-brother

According to Iyer, KKR principal owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is more like an “elder brother” to the squad. “He does not give you the owner vibe, he gives the elder brother vibe.

“He makes you feel comfortable around him and is so protective as an owner... The first thing he asks is not ‘How are you?’ Rather, ‘How are your parents and family at home?’

“Another thing about him is his ability to manage time to talk to all the players. He makes everyone feel like they belong (in this team),” the 30-year-old said.