KKR have not yet made public who their new captain will be, but Iyer, who was bought back for a record sum of INR 23.75 crore (US$ 2.83 million approx.), is learned to be among the top contenders along with former India captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Although Iyer, who is 30, has never led in competitive cricket, he is eager for the experience. “Definitely. Definitely, I’m ready,” he said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo recently. “Again, I’ve always said this: captaincy is just a tag. I believe in leadership. That is a bigger role to play, being a leader.
“You don’t necessarily need the tag of a captain to be a leader in your dressing room. You need to set examples. You need to be a good role model, both on and off the field, which I am doing right now in MP. I’m not the captain of the MP team, but my opinions are respected and I really love to be in an atmosphere where every individual – again, new or experienced, 20 lakhs, 20 crore, whatever – you just need to have the freedom to voice your opinion. Or you just need to have the freedom to give opinions and give suggestions and them to be taken in the right spirit.
“I’ve always wanted to be that person. And if captaincy comes my way, I would definitely want to do it. There’s no ambiguity surrounded to this. I’ll definitely do it, if it comes my way. There is no reason not to do it.”
Iyer made his IPL debut in 2021 and was instrumental in turning around KKR’s fortunes that season. They began with four losses in six games, but recovered in dramatic fashion, putting up seven wins in nine games to make the final. Iyer’s installation at the top of the order played a part in the upswing but his role has since diversified. He shifted to No. 3 (and lower) last year and has also chipped in with the ball when needed. In total, Iyer has contributed 1326 runs in 51 matches for KKR with a strike rate of 137. It is the only franchise he has ever played for.
One potential reason KKR haven’t announced the captain for IPL 2025 could be the busy Indian domestic schedule. At the time of the mega auction, which was held late November, Iyer was among several KKR players featuring in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where Madhya Pradesh lost in the final to Mumbai. The second leg of the Ranji Trophy followed, with the final on February 26.
Iyer said he was happy KKR did not want to bother the players while the domestic season was on. “It’s good that they’re giving players their space and letting them focus on domestic cricket. Whenever it comes, we’ll see about it.”
The full Venkatesh Iyer interview will be published in the lead-up to IPL 2025.
