Madhya Pradesh opener Venkatesh Iyer was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs. 23.75 cr at the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction at the Abady Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

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Venkatesh, a key player for defending champion KKR, was initially released but later re-signed by the franchise for a staggering ₹23.75 crore, making him the third-highest-paid player in this year’s IPL auction.

Venkatesh had been KKR’s standout performer during its victorious campaign last season, notably scoring the joint-fastest fifty in an IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The top two most expensive players at the auction were Rishabh Pant, acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27.00 crore, and Shreyas Iyer, who joined Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore.