IPL 2024 Auction: Venkatesh Iyer To Be Traded From KKR? Possible Reason Explained

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IPL 2024 Auction: A lack of wicketkeeper-batter, or rather a need of a wicketkeeper-batter in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2024 squad, is one thing creating buzz ever since the teams announced their list of released and retained list of players.

With a total of 13 retained players in their squad, KKR have a purse of Rs 32.7 crore left to spend in the IPL 2024 mini-auction scheduled to be held in Dubai on December 19.

The likes of Josh Inglis, Phil Salt, KS Bharat, Ben Duckett and Sam Billings are available in the auction. A bidding war for Jos Inglis seems to be on the cards, and considering that KKR have maximum slots to fill, the franchise would not like to shell out a lot of money on a single player.

Trading out a player is one way they can secure a handy deal. Will Venkatesh Iyer pave the way for KKR to get a wicketkeeper-batter of their choice?

Venkatesh Iyer was bought for a whopping Rs 8 crore in the IPL 2022. Trading could allow KKR to get someone like Jonny Bairstow who was bought by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 6.75 core. Someone like Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) Quinton de Kock will also cost KKR the same amount.

However, KKR's search could likely be for an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. They have an overseas option in Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Jitesh Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Dinesh Karthik are a few options but their respective franchises would wish for nothing less than a quality all-rounder in Venkatesh Iyer in return.

Venkatesh Iyer was one of the three batters to cross the 400-run mark for KKR in the IPL 2023. He averaged 28.85 and carried a strike rate of 145.84. He scored just 70 runs less than team's top-scorer Rinku Singh. Overall, the 28-year-old has featured in 99 T20s and scored 2299 runs at an average of 34.31 and a strike rate of 136.43.

However, it should be noted that over 200 of these runs came in just three out of 14 innings. Iyer hit a hundred and two fifties. He did not bowl a single over in the season. With Gurbaz and Jason Roy in the squad, KKR might not need Venkatesh Iyer at the top. The role of finisher is also going to be taken care of by Rinku Singh and Andre Russell.

But regardless, the chances of KKR sacrificing a player like Venkatesh Iyer for a wicketkeeper-batter is very low, but interesting and unexpected IPL trades have in the past and hence no possibility can be ruled out.