"Someone With A Lot Of Attitude": KKR Coach Abhishek Nayar On Released Star Venkatesh Iyer

The return of Venkatesh Iyer to the IPL 2026 mini-auction paints quite an intriguing story. The all-rounder was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a mind-boggling fee of INR 23.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction but was released after a below-par show in the last campaign. Looking to find a new franchise, Venkatesh has entered the mini-auction this time with a base price of INR 2 crore. Though he is expected to be on the radar of multiple franchises, a fascinating story has come to the fore in which Abhishek Nayar, the newly-appointed KKR head coach, explained his first impression of the pace-bowling all-rounder.

Nayar vividly recalled the moment Iyer first walked into the KKR trials. "On day one, Venkatesh Iyer walked in with swagger; he performed, but he never looked at us or tried to please anyone," Nayar explained on The Great Indian Cricket Show.

"I thought he was someone with a lot of attitude," Nayar admitted, suggesting that the player's attitude signalled a deeper, unshakeable self-belief.

The true test of Venkatesh's character came on day two of the trial. During a practice match designed to assess the hopefuls under pressure, KKR's designated bowler suddenly cramped up in the final over, leaving the team in a complex situation. Venkatesh, who was fielding on the boundary rope, put his hand up to complete the pending over without hesitation.

"Venky shouted from the boundary, 'I will bowl the last over,'" Nayar recalled.

Iyer took the ball, a gutsy move that ultimately ended in a failure -- he conceded 18 runs. Nayar, despite the number of runs Venkatesh conceded, developed a liking towards the player because of the courage he showed.

"What I loved was his willingness to face adversity," Nayar noted. "The trial mattered less to him than proving to himself that he was doing the right thing."

Topics mentioned in this article

Kolkata Knight Riders Venkatesh Iyer Abhishek Nayar Cricket