According to former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth, Venkatesh Iyer, an all-rounder with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is not a tradeable asset. Disappointed in Venkatesh Iyer performances over the last two IPL seasons, Srikkanth stated that other teams would rather purchase him at a reduced cost at the next auction than exchange him for his current value.
At the IPL 2025 mega auction, Venkatesh Iyer was purchased by the three-time IPL champions for an incredible INR 23.75 crore.
Venkatesh Iyer, however, was unable to live up to the cost, averaging just 20.28 over 11 games in the 2025 campaign.
“He cannot be exchanged for anything. He will be set free. He will not be traded for or purchased by any team. Instead, he is easily obtainable for Rs. 3 crores during the auction. He hasn’t done well during the past two years. Only the semi-final and final saw him score. In the IPL throughout the previous two seasons, he didn’t score many runs during the competition. Upon joining KKR, he was a potent opening batsman. On his YouTube channel, Srikkanth stated that opening is his ideal role.
In addition, Srikkanth pleaded with the Mumbai Indians (MI) to free Deepak Chahar before the auction. Although the team paid INR 9.25 crore for Chahar, the bowler had a poor 2025 season, taking 11 wickets at an economy rate of 9.17.
“MI ought to free Deepak Chahar without a doubt. He finds it difficult to field or run. He is also unfit to leave the field half the time. I’ll retain him in the squad, but why? “As is, MI is a set team,” Srikkanth stated.
In the run-up to the IPL 2026 auction, the former Indian opener also shared his opinions about South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). At the IPL 2025 auction, Klaasen was one of the high-profile acquisitions, costing a whopping INR 23 crore. Despite having a remarkable average of over 44 at the end of the 2025 season, he found it difficult to lead SRH in games.
“What makes Heinrich Klaasen a free agent? He only had high scores for them the previous year. They tampered too much with his batting position last season. He occasionally appeared as a finisher after 16 overs and batted at 5. He should bat at three instead, starting with the third over. You don’t even need to give him directions, and he’s still doing a fantastic job. It will be challenging to regain him if you let him go. However, we need to find out which team can afford to get him,” Srikkanth stated.
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