'Complicated': KKR Mentor Reveals Why The Defending Champs 'Went All Out' To Get Venkatesh Iyer Back

The Kolkata Knight Riders have made some notable selections in the two-day IPL 2025 Auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. However, most of the teams' selections included bringing back the team members who were a part of their championship-winning side in the IPL 2024 season. KKR broke the bank to get one of the team's top stars, Venkatesh Iyer, back in the purple gang. KKR's strategy was under scrutiny as they could have easily got their hands on Venkatesh during the retentions instead of splurging out cash during the auction. But Mentor Dwayne Bravo has defended the three-time IPL Champions' blueprint.

KKR Mentor Dwayne Bravo Backs Team's Plans To Break The Bank For Venkatesh Iyer  

Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo opened up on the franchise going head over heels to get Venkatesh lyer back in the purple squad. Venkatesh's acquisition has sparked some debate about why he was not retained if the defending champions' thinktank had plans for him. However, in order to preserve the core of the IPL championship-winning team, the Kolkata Knight Riders' mentor has defended the team's strategy of going all out for Venkatesh Iyer.

"Getting Venky (Venkatesh Iyer) was one of the main priorities for us, as you could see, we went all out for him. It's good that we have 90 per cent of the players from the championship-winning team. That in itself is a positive sign.

"It's important to keep your core because when you have to build from scratch, it becomes complicated to make combinations and all. We started planning while I was in Trinidad. We had come with a proper plan, the players we wanted to target," KKR Mentor Dwayne Bravo said

Also Read: IPL 2025 Mega Auction: How All 10 Teams Shape Up After Spending 640 Crore Cumulatively

Venkatesh Iyer became the third most expensive player in the two-day IPL mega auction, which ended on Monday. Only Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer were more expensive than Venkatesh. While Pant was picked by LSG at INR 27 Crore, KKR's championship-winning skipper headed to the Punjab Kings at INR 26.75 Crore. The KKR mainstay even outbid the veteran Indian batter KL Rahul, who was signed by the Delhi Capitals for INR 14 crore.

Also Read: 'Didn't Really Work': Glenn Maxwell Gives Jaw-Dropping Remark On His RCB Exit Before Joining PBKS

[With PTI Inputs]