RCB Coach Andy Flower Reflects on Venkatesh Iyer's Missed Opportunity in IPL 2025
RCB's Auction Strategy and Venkatesh Iyer's Performance
During the IPL 2025 mega auction, Josh Hazlewood was a standout for the RCB team, securing the highest number of wickets and becoming the most expensive acquisition at ₹12.50 crore. Initially, RCB faced criticism for their auction decisions, but following their IPL title victory, those choices are now being celebrated. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) re-signed Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore, yet he fell short of expectations. RCB's head coach, Andy Flower, expressed that Venkatesh could have excelled had he joined their squad.
“We held Venky in high regard, which is why we pursued him so vigorously. We aimed to build a robust Indian core within our team, seeking dynamic young players and a left-handed batsman in the top order. Unfortunately, we missed out on him. I believe if he had played for us, he would have had an outstanding season,” Flower stated during a press conference on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Venkatesh Iyer's Struggles in IPL 2025
This season, KKR's vice-captain struggled significantly, accumulating only 142 runs across seven matches with an average of 20.29. His most notable performance came against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and he scored 45 runs off 29 balls in a losing effort against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home. Batting in the middle order, he achieved a strike rate of 139.21. A hand injury sidelined him during the IPL's restart after a week-long break, raising questions about KKR's future plans for him. Should KKR decide to release him, RCB might consider re-acquiring him in the upcoming mini auction.
Devdutt Padikkal's Role and Replacement
Despite not being picked in the initial round, RCB secured Devdutt Padikkal for his base price of ₹2 crore. Over ten innings, he scored 247 runs at an average of 27.44, including two half-centuries, with a strike rate of 150.60. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury limited his participation in the latter stages of IPL 2025. Mayank Agarwal stepped in as his replacement for ₹1 crore, participating in four matches, including Qualifier 1 and the final.