Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 20 (ANI): Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer opened up on playing at the 'temple' and team's home stadium of Eden Gardens, the prize tag pressure and his 'elder brother' bond with team owner and Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan.

KKR will kickstart their title defence journey in IPL 2025 with a highly-anticipated clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the 'OG Derby', which kickstarted the tournament back in 2008 during its inaugural edition.

Iyer will be one of the players in the spotlight as the deputy to skipper Ajinkya Rahane was bought back by KKR for a whopping Rs 23.75 crores. Over the years, he has delivered several notable performances for the Knights ever since his debut in 2021.

Venkatesh, on 'Backstage with Boria season six', told Boria Majumdar that the prize tag of Rs 23.75 crores does have pressure, but once the match starts, none of it matters, and his job remains the same, whether his price tag is Rs20 lakh or Rs20 crore.

'The IPL 2025 auction was a life-changing moment for me. The middle-class guy in me was very happy with the money! I would not lie. However, as the bidding war between KKR and RCB escalated, it brought a mix of emotions. One way to look at it is to feel happy that I have done something good in my career for teams to invest in me. Another way, which I think is the right one, is to realise that this comes with a lot of responsibility. If I say there is no pressure, I would be lying. Of course, there is pressure. And there has to be pressure. But once the match starts, none of it matters. Whether I am a Rs20 lakh player or a Rs20 crore player, my job remains the same'

On Shah Rukh Khan, Venkatesh said that the superstar actor makes one feel that he is 'always there for you'.

'More than a franchise owner, he gives off an elder brother vibe. He makes you feel like he is always there for you. A franchise owner does not have to be so friendly and humble, especially someone like him, a global superstar. But he is so down to earth. When you meet him, you feel like you want to do something special for him. You feel like, 'No, I want to do something for this man. I want to do something special for Shah Rukh bhai,' he added.

Speaking about playing at the team's home arena of Eden Gardens, Venkatesh said, 'To step onto the field at Eden Gardens, which is like a temple for me, and see thousands of fans cheering for you and your team--there's no greater feeling for a cricketer. It feels like 70-80,000 people are behind you, supporting you with every action you take. That energy brings out the best in you.'

Venkatesh had a fantastic IPL season in 2021, making his debut for KKR. In 10 matches, he made 370 runs at an average of 41.11 and a strike rate of 128.47, with four fifties. He also took three wickets with his useful medium pace.

A fine IPL season brought Venkatesh to the senior team as he made his debut in November 2021 as star all-rounder Hardik Pandya struggled through injuries and needed someone to back him up. In nine T20Is and seven innings, he made 133 runs at an average of 33.25, with a strike rate of over 162 and best score of 35*, and picked up five wickets. In two ODIs, he scored 24 runs in two innings, with best score of 22. He has not played a game for India since February 2022.

In 51 matches for KKR, he has made 1,326 runs at an average of 31.57 and a strike rate of over 137, with a century and 11 fifties in 49 innings to his name. His best score is 104. He has also taken three wickets.

During the title-winning season of 2024, Venkatesh played a key hand with his 370 runs in 13 innings at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.79, with four half-centuries. His best score was 70. He was the third-highest run-getter for KKR and scored a half-century in playoffs and the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). (ANI)