"I Am The Highest Paid Cricketer, Doesn't Mean...": KKR Star Venaktesh Iyer Silences Critics

Bought for a whopping price of INR 23.75 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Venkatesh Iyer has admitted that there is pressure to live up to the expectations. After multiple failures with the bat, the batter showed a glimpse of what he can do, scoring 60 runs off just 29 balls to help KKR put a 200-run total on the board against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). When asked about the top price tag and the expectations that come with it, Venkatesh gave a smashing reply in the press conference on Thursday.

"Once IPL starts, it doesn't matter whether you were sold for Rs 20 lakh or 20 crore. The money doesn't define how you will play cricket," Iyer said in the post-match press conference.

Venkatesh also chose to highlight the excellent work his teammate Angkrish Raghuvanshi has done so far this season despite coming to the team for a fee of INR 3 crore. While Iyer remains the team's most expensive buy of the auction, he said that the price tag doesn't mean he needs to fire in every single game.

"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.

Venkatesh also admitted that there's pressure on him to succeed but he is only focussed on contributing to the team's cause.

"Yes, there is some pressure, I won't lie. The pressure not about