Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer made history during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Secured by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for INR 23.75 crore, Iyer became the most expensive Indian all-rounder in IPL history and the fourth-highest-paid player in the league’s history.
Released by the franchise after their title-winning campaign, Iyer was brought back by the team after fierce competition in the auction. Starting with a base price of INR 2 crore, a bidding war was triggered between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and KKR. While LSG exited at INR 7.75 crore, the contest between RCB and KKR increased to a record-breaking prize.
Meanwhile, the southpaw apart is currently balancing cricket with education. Coming from an orthodox middle-class family, Iyer’s emphasis on academics is immensly. Currently pursuing a PhD in finance, he believes education is important for players with critical thinking skills, enabling better decision-making on and off the field.
“I come from an orthodox family, so it is tough to convince middle-class parents that I will pursue only cricket. But it was the other way around. I was big on academics. My parents wanted me to do well in the game as well. If a new guy walks into the MP (Madhya Pradesh) team, the first thing I ask him is ‘padhai kar rahe ho ki nahi?’ (are you studying or not?). Education will stay with you till you die, a cricketer cannot play till 60. You have to understand that there is a shelf life. After that, if you want to really excel in life, you have to be educated. Academics can give me the perfect switch-off from the game,” he told the Indian Express.
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Want cricketers to educate themselves: Venkatesh Iyer
Interestingly, Iyer completed his BCom from Indore’s DAVV University and did his MBA from the Institute of Management Studies DAVV. The all-rounder further mentioned that he wants cricketers to educate themselves not just with cricketing knowledge, but general knowledge as well and urges his colleagues to complete their education as cricketers have short careers but have a huge life to live after that.
“I don’t want to be thinking of the game all the time, it adds pressure. If I can do two things at the same time, I will. Being an educated person, helps me make better decisions on the field as well. There will be a situation when it won’t be just about the skill but whether you can make a better decision. I want cricketers to educate themselves not just with cricketing knowledge, but general knowledge as well. If you can complete your graduation or post-graduation, you definitely should. I am pursuing my PhD (finance) now. You will be interviewing me as Dr Venkatesh Iyer next time,” he added.
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