Rahane defends Venkatesh Iyer amid performance criticism
Ajinkya Rahane, captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), addressed recent criticism directed at Venkatesh Iyer for his underwhelming performance in IPL 2025. Iyer, who was bought for Rs. 23.75 crores in the mega auction, has not delivered the expected results this season.
Rahane defended Iyer, stating that a player's salary should not influence how hard they work or how they perform. He explained that players do not put in double the effort because they earn Rs. 20 crore, nor do they take the game lightly when earning less.
“Price tags do not define player commitment,” says Rahane
Rahane emphasized that performance on the field depends on controllable factors, not salary.
"Nobody tries harder just because they earn Rs. 20 crore. Similarly, those earning Rs. 1 crore or Rs. 3 crore don’t take the match less seriously. Everyone behaves the same once they are on the field. That’s what matters,” Rahane said.
He also mentioned that Venkatesh Iyer remained focused throughout the season and handled the situation professionally. Rahane noted that every player can go through a tough phase, and Iyer’s struggles were not related to his price.
KKR struggles to repeat last season’s success
Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the IPL title last season, have not performed well this year. Despite expectations, Iyer managed only 142 runs at an average of 20.28. Other key players from the previous season like Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh also failed to make a strong impact.
Rahane remains hopeful for next season
Speaking about the team’s overall performance, Rahane admitted that defending a title is always challenging.
“Winning and keeping the championship is never easy. We tried our best as a team, but we fell short sometimes. We’ll come back stronger next season,” Rahane added.
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