KKR’s 23.75 crore buy arrives in Kolkata for IPL 2025 [In Pictures]

Indian cricketer Venkatesh Iyer has joined the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. KKR triumphed over the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in the IPL 2024 final to claim the championship under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer.

Venkatesh had a solid season with the bat, scoring 370 runs in 13 innings at an average of 46.25, including four half-centuries. Despite his strong performance, he was not retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction. However, KKR went all out for the 30-year-old during the auction, securing his services once again for a hefty INR 23.75 crore.

On March 3, Venkatesh was appointed as the team's vice-captain (Ajinkya Rahane is the skipper). Meanwhile, on Wednesday, March 12, the franchise shared pictures on their official Instagram account of Venkatesh joining the camp in preparation for the upcoming season.

Overall, Venkatesh has appeared in 51 IPL matches, all for KKR, scoring 1,326 runs at an average of 31.57. His tally includes 11 half-centuries and one century, with a highest score of 104. He has also taken three wickets.

---

Kolkata Knight Riders' fixtures for IPL 2025

The defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Here’s KKR's full schedule:

March 22: KKR vs RCB - 7:30 PM, Kolkata

March 26: RR vs KKR - 7:30 PM, Guwahati

March 31: MI vs KKR - 7:30 PM, Mumbai

April 3: KKR vs SRH - 7:30 PM, Kolkata

April 6: KKR vs LSG - 3:30 PM, Kolkata

April 11: CSK vs KKR - 7:30 PM, Chennai

April 15: PBKS vs KKR - 7:30 PM, Mullanpur

April 21: KKR vs GT - 7:30 PM, Kolkata

April 26: KKR vs PBKS - 7:30 PM, Kolkata

April 29: DC vs KKR - 7:30 PM, Delhi

May 4: KKR vs RR - 3:30 PM, Kolkata

May 7: KKR vs CSK - 7:30 PM, Kolkata

May 10: SRH vs KKR - 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

May 17: RCB vs KKR - 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

The team will be led for the first time by veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane, who was acquired by the franchise for INR 1.5 crore during the 2025 mega auction.