He had just been bought back by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Venkatesh Iyer was understandably elated. He was watching the auction at home when we managed to speak. “Let me call you back,” he said before adding, “Just watching the auction with my mother.” And then, in exactly an hour, he called back for a catch-up conversation on what was a staggering bid of 23.75 crores.
Excerpts:
Boria: 23 crores. Could you believe it?
Venkatesh Iyer: Not 23 crores. 23.75 crores! (Laughs). The bid exceeded my expectations by, say, 15 crores at least! But I am hugely happy. Not just because KKR got me back, but because your dream of playing for the franchise you wanted is fulfilled. It is my homecoming, and I am absolutely thrilled. But the price tag also means added pressure and added responsibility. If they have spent so much on you, it is essential you stand up to the challenge.
Boria: You said you were watching the auction with your mother. What was her reaction like?
Venkatesh: She was thrilled and very pleased for me. At the same time, she was the one to remind me of the additional responsibility. She also said that whatever I want to do tonight and celebrate, I should, but then I am playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Sunday, and it is my job to give my best for MP and try and win MP the tournament. That’s what mothers do – they keep you rooted.
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Boria: You had mentioned to me the last time we had spoken that at KKR, you are part of the leadership group. Now more so?
Venkatesh: You need not be captain to be a leader. And yes, absolutely, I consider myself to be a part of the leadership group at KKR. It is my job to do the best, make suggestions and steer the team in the right direction. We had a fantastic auction, and got back a lot of our winning team. [Rahmanullah] Gurbaz is back, Vaibhav [Arora] is back, Quinton de Kock at 3.6 crores was a steal, so we have a very good team. Now, it will be on all of us to go out and deliver.
Boria: Will the price tag be an added pressure? We can’t even imagine 23.75 crores. It is a huge amount of money!
Venkatesh: I would be lying if I said to you it is not going to be added pressure. I know some would say that, but that’s not the truth. When you are paid this kind of money, it has to be weighing on your mind. But then, it is now on you to step up and do justice to the kind of faith the franchise has reposed in you. When you are in the team, it doesn’t matter whether you are paid 20 lakhs or 20 crores – the job is the same. Win as many games as you can for the team, and that’s what I will do. Yes, the money means I have the white noise to deal with, and there will be that noise. I can’t escape it, and it will be something I will surely have to deal with.
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