RCB coach Andy Flower comes to under-fire Venkatesh Iyer's support with a big statement: 'If he played for us...'

Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had a forgettable run in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), collecting just 142 runs in 11 outings and not bowling a single delivery throughout the season. Venkatesh failed to justify his price tag of Rs 23.75 crore, which KKR had shelled out in the mega auction where they preferred him over title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer.

His performance – along with that of several other members of the batting lineup – was also a major reason why the Ajinkya Rahane-led side finished eighth out of 10 teams just one year after winning their third title. Some reports even suggest Venkatesh could be released by the franchise ahead of the mini auction later this year, which could also be what fate has in store for head coach Chandrakant Pandit.

RCB head coach backs Venkatesh

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who defeated Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to win their maiden title after years of heartbreaks, had made some smart purchases during the auction.

Players such as Josh Hazlewood, who returned to the franchise after a brief stint with Chennai Super Kings, and Phil Salt ended up playing a key role in RCB finishing second on the points table before winning their maiden title with back-to-back victories over PBKS. Hazlewood finished as their leading wicket-taker while Salt formed a successful pairing with Virat Kohli at the top of the batting order.

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And RCB head coach Andy Flower feels Venkatesh would have done well this season had the franchise succeeded in buying him in the mega auction that took place in Jeddah last November.

“We really rated Venky (highly), that’s why we went so hard for him. It was because we valued having a strong Indian core to our team. We wanted some exciting young cricketers and a left-hander in the top order. We didn’t get him. I would like to think if he played for us, he would have had a really great season,” former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Flower told ESPNCricinfo.

RCB could still bring Venkatesh into their fold next year if KKR include him in their list of releases ahead of the retention deadline, which at the moment appears a likely prospect.

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