Bought back by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore at the IPL mega auction here, Venkatesh Iyer on Sunday said he would be "more than happy" to take on the captaincy challenge and step into Shreyas Iyer's shoes.

Kolkata Knight Riders Auction Strategy, Players Retained & Probable Buys, Full List of Sold and Unsold Players & Top Purchases Today – Indian Premier League

Not having any RTM option, Kolkata Knight Riders spulrged ₹ 23.75 crores on Venkatesh Iyer, from a base price of ₹ 2 crore. KKR also went for wicketkeeper-batters Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, buying them for ₹ 3.6 and ₹ 2 crores respetively.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are aiming for a fourth IPL title in 2025, determined to build on their legacy. As the defending champions, the franchise is focused on assembling a well-rounded squad under strong leadership.

Check out of full squad Kolkata Knight Riders and the complete players list after the 2025 IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Kolkata Knight Riders do not have any Right To Match options left and will go into the auctions with a Rs 51 crore purse.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant pipped Shreyas Iyer ( ₹26.75 crore) to become the costliest buy in Indian Premier League's (IPL) history with a ₹27 crore pay cheque from Lucknow Super Giants, while Venkatesh Iyer was the surprise show-stopper as he was bought back for ₹23.

Venkatesh Iyer rejoins Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore at the IPL 2025 Auction, becoming the third most expensive buy. The all-rounder was instrumental in KKR's recent success, including their IPL 2024 victory.

Rishabh Pant was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, marking a new chapter after his release by Delhi Capitals and a strong comeback in IPL 2024.

Rishabh Pant has become the most expensive buys in the history of Indian Premier League. LSG broke bank to grab him for a whopping Rs 27 crore.