Which Team Does Venkatesh Iyer Want To Go To After KKR Snub: 'If I Ask My Heart...'

Despite being released from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for a second year in a row, Venkatesh Iyer has again pledged his loyalty to the franchise. He said that if given a choice of the team for the IPL 2026 auction, his heart would pick KKR to ‘continue the legacy’ and ‘bring more glory’ to the franchise.

KKR made Venkatesh one of their most expensive signings in IPL history, splurging Rs 23.75 crore on him in the IPL 2025 auction. It proved to be an abject failure as he managed only 142 runs in seven innings at an average of 20.29 and a strike-rate of 139.22, without bowling at all. He mostly played out of his usual batting position before being dropped in the middle of the season.

In IPL 2025, his price went that high because several

teams were interested in his services, including eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But Venkatesh perhaps realises that it might not be the case again.

“For players like us, it’s the opportunity to play in the IPL,” he told CricTracker. “It doesn’t matter which team I play for. I will put my best foot forward. If I have to ask my heart, I would still want to play for KKR. I won one championship with KKR. I want to continue the legacy. I want to bring more glory to KKR. Because they have shown so much faith in me. If not KKR, then anywhere else. Everyone knows that wherever I go, I will look to give my best. Not just in terms of my batting or bowling, but also, I can contribute in terms of leadership and suggestions to the captain,” he added.

The Madhya Pradesh man had made a similar statement after being released from the team last year, and KKR spent most of their budget on him. That seems quite unlikely now.

Venkatesh has had a really interesting journey with the franchise. He came out of nowhere in 2021 and impressed so much that the team decided to retain him over Shubman Gill, who’s now set to be an all-format India captain. At that time, he looked like an all-rounder that every team would love to have.

He had a poor 2022 season but was excellent in 2023, before scoring half-centuries in the final and the first Qualifier in the title-winning 2024 season. At one stage, it looked like he’d take over as the captain when Shreyas Iyer left, but the team released and re-signed him while deciding to give the armband to Ajinkya Rahane. The Mumbaikar struggled as the captain but was among the few players with a set batting position at number three, which was also Venkatesh’s best spot.

The IPL 2026 auction is scheduled for December 16.