'I'm highest paid cricketer... doesn't mean I've to score in every match. 20 lakh or 20 cr same in IPL': Venkatesh Iyer

Kolkata Knight Riders released Venkatesh Iyer after their IPL-winning run last year but spent a staggering ₹23.75 crore in the mega auction to get him back. It was the third-highest price tag behind Rishabh Pant ( ₹27 crore) and Shreyas Iyer ( ₹26.75 crore). Venkatesh has been a consistent performer for KKR ever since making his debut midway through 2021. Barring a disappointing season in 2022, the left-hander has scored more than 350 runs in every year. But the spotlight was never quite on him like it has been this year, simply because of his price tag. KKR had exhausted their full retention quota by holding back Rinku Singh, Varun Chakarvarthy, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh but Iyer's auction towered over them all. Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Venkatesh Iyer of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in action against Sunrisers Hyderabad(Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times)

When Venkatesh Iyer accumulated just 9 runs in two outings - He didn't get to bat in the second match - in IPL 2025, questions were being asked. But Iyer didn't bother. In his mind, he was very clear about his role. Just because he is KKR's highest-paid cricketer, doesn't mean he is under pressure to score in every match.

"Once IPL starts, it doesn't matter whether you were sold for ₹20 lakh or 20 crore. The money doesn't define how you will play cricket," Iyer said in the post-match press conference after answering his critics with a blistering 60 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad to help his team get back to winning ways in the 18th season.

"We have a youngster called Angrish Raghuvanshi, who is doing really well. I know that the question of high payment and expectations will come up a lot, but I am a player who wants to contribute to the team's success. There will be tricky situations when my team would require me to play out a few balls. If I can do that even after not scoring that many runs, I have done the job for my team. It doesn't mean that I'm the highest-paid cricketer I will have to score in every match. It's about the impact.

"Yes, there is some pressure, I won't lie. The pressure not about money, it is about how can contribute to the team's success," he added.

Iyer hit two sixes and six fours in his last 12 balls in a dazzling display of hitting in the death overs. His onslaught included taking 20 runs off SRH captain Pat Cummins in the 19th over. "I don't look at who is bowling. The focus is always on what is being bowled looking at the field placement," he said.

Venkatesh Iyer shares thoughts on Kolkata pitch after KKR beat SRH

It was not an easy pitch to bat. Some of the cleanest strikers, like Quinton de Kock, Abhishek Sharma, and Travis Head, failed to judge the pace from the pitch. Iyer said, it was difficult to start hitting straightaway. Even he and Rinku Singh (32* off 17) needed to take some balls to understand the nature of the pitch.

"The main communication came from Ajinkya and Angrish when they were batting in the middle. They said it's not an easy pitch to bat. The ball was sticking. It was turning. So it was important for us not to chew up balls but at the same time understand what the pitch has to offer. We have that luxury because we have Rinku, Russell and Ramandeep in the backend. We have an engine room that can demolish any bowling attack," Iyer added.

There has been a lot of focus on the Eden Gardens pitch ever since the pitch curator said he won't prepare the 22 yards based on the franchise's demands. Iyer said it would be nice to get home advantage, but he is not a big fan of directing the curators.

"Now that we have won, so yeah (we can call it a good pitch). It was a competitive pitch. To be honest, we bowled really well. We put up a par score at Eden. We used the conditions well. See, I never believe that the pitch should be in a certain way. We are professional cricketers, we should be able to adjust to whatever is on offer but yes, if we get what we want at our home, it would be great."

After posting 200/6, KKR bowled out SRH for 120 in 16.4 overs to win the match by 80 runs.

Aggression is all about showing positive but correct intent. If we are 15/6, I still go and tonk everything, which is positive but not correct. So if we have to call ourselves a champion team and smart cricketers, we have to read the situation and then react to it aggressively. Aggression does not mean you tonk every ball for six. It's about understanding the situation and maximising it in your favour. We don't want to be that team who hits 250 and then gets out for 70," Iyer added.

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