NEW DELHI: The cricketing world was left stunned when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opted not to retain their title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer and instead re-signed all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer. At the IPL mega auction in Jeddah on Sunday, KKR shelled out a staggering Rs 23.75 crore for Venkatesh, fueling speculation that the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder might take on the captaincy mantle in Shreyas’ absence.
The Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise battled fiercely against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to secure Venkatesh, who became the third-highest purchase of the auction after Shreyas (Rs 26.75 crore, Punjab Kings) and Rishabh Pant (Rs 27 crore, Lucknow Super Giants).
