| Venkatesh Iyer Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft |
| Weight | 76 kg |
| Date of Birth | December 25, 1994 |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Venkatesh Iyer is an Indian professional cricketer who has played for his home state of Madhya Pradesh (2015–Present) across all 3 formats, in the Indian domestic circuit, as a batting all-rounder. In February 2021, he was selected by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL (Indian Premier League) for his base price of INR 20 lakhs. He could not break into the team’s playing XI in the first 7 matches of the 2021 IPL season even though the Kolkata Knight Riders had lost 5 of those matches. The event was postponed then due to the rapid rise in the number of coronavirus cases in India and had been rescheduled to September-October 2021, with the remaining matches to be played in the UAE. At the start of the UAE leg of the season, he was asked to open the batting for the struggling team and had responded with successive scores of 41 not out and 53. In the 12th match of the season, he had scored a vital knock of 67 runs and had also picked up 3 crucial wickets. His form with both bat and ball was one of the key factors in the Kolkata Knight Riders turning their season around by winning 5 of the remaining 7 matches in the season and qualifying for the playoffs as the 4th ranked team in the regular season. In 2 low-scoring matches in the playoffs stage (eliminator and qualifier 2), his invaluable innings of 26 and 55 runs, respectively, had helped his team chase down very tricky sub-140 scores and reach the IPL final for just the 3rd time.
Born Name
Venkatesh Rajasekaran Iyer
Nick Name
Venky
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Born Place
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Residence
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Nationality
Education
Venkatesh, after his high school graduation, had pursued a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) degree, alongside a Chartered Accountancy (CA) degree.
After clearing the CA intermediate examinations, he had decided to drop out and enroll himself in an MBA degree course in finance that could allow him to pursue cricket further.
Occupation
Professional Cricketer
Family
- Father – Rajasekaran Iyer (Human Resources Consultant)
- Mother – Usha Iyer (Hospital Administrator)
Batting
Left-Handed
Bowling
Right-Arm Medium
Role
Batting All-Rounder
Jersey Number
25 – Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL)
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
76 kg or 167.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Iyer has dated –
- Shruti Raghunathan – In November 2023, Venkatesh announced his engagement to Shruti Raghunathan.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Side-parted, wavy hair
- Affable smile
- Sports a rugged beard
Venkatesh Iyer Facts
- He had made both his T20 debut and his List A debut for his home state of Madhya Pradesh in 2015, while he was still pursuing his B.Com degree. His first-class debut, though, came only in the 2018–19 season of the Ranji Trophy (India’s premier first-class cricket tournament).
- Just a few months before his Ranji Trophy debut, he had landed a job with the accounting firm Deloitte, at their India headquarters in Bengaluru, but had declined the offer so that he could freely pursue his cricketing career.
- He had first come into the spotlight on the Indian domestic cricket scene during the 2020-21 season, after he had topped the run-charts for Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (India’s premier domestic T20 cricket tournament), scoring 227 runs in just 5 innings at an astounding average of 75.66 and a stellar strike rate of 149.34.
- In the same season, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (India’s premier domestic One-Day cricket tournament), he had scored a scorching 146-ball 198 that had helped Madhya Pradesh rack up a humongous score of 402 for 3 against Punjab. To add insult to injury, he had also picked up 2 wickets for just 24 runs in Punjab’s chase.
- In October 2021, during the closing stages of the IPL season, he was asked by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to stay back in the UAE as part of a group of 8 up-and-coming stars who would assist the Indian senior men’s national team in their preparations for the upcoming ICC (International Cricket Council) World T20 event.
- His hobbies/interests include reading, watching cooking shows, and watching movies.
- He is a massive fan of the Indian actor Rajinikanth.
- In September 2022, Iyer was injured when he was hit on the head while playing a semi-final match for Central Zone against West Zone at Duleep Trophy. An ambulance was also called on the ground.
Featured Image by Venkatesh Iyer / Instagram
