Venkatesh Iyer is going to have a tough time: ‘Shocked’ Tom Moody over KKR’s Rs 23.75 crore purchase in IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Tom Moody said Venkatesh Iyer might struggle to live up to his huge price tag in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). On Day 1 of the mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) paid INR 23.75 crore at the auction after a bidding war with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

IPL 2025 Mega Auction Updates

Venkatesh also became the third most expensive player in the ongoing IPL auction after Rishabh Pant, who went to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 27 crore, and Shreyas Iyer, who was picked by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 26.75 crore. Moody said if the Knights were desperate to get Iyer, they could have kept him before the auction.

“I’m shocked, I’m absolutely shocked. One of the points I have already made is the fact that this deal could have been done before the auction if they were that desperate for a player of this caliber,” Moody told ESPNcricinfo.

“I think he’s a good player. Is he worth 23.75? Well, he has three years to prove it and somehow I think he will struggle to have the impact that money So he’s going to be under a lot of pressure in terms of expectations to meet that pay tag,” Moody added.

Also read: IPL Auction: Yuzvendra Chahal fetches a whopping Rs 18 crore from Punjab Kings

In 51 IPL matches for KKR since his debut in 2021, Venkatesh Iyer has amassed 1326 runs at an average of 31.57 and a strike-rate of 137.12. He is also one of the three players to have hit a hundred for KKR in the IPL, along with Brendon McCullum and Sunil Narine.

Iyer played a key role in KKR winning the title last season. In 15 matches, he scored 370 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike-rate of 158.79 with four fifties to his name.

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