Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has urged the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to retain all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for IPL 2026, but with a strategic twist: release him ahead of the retention deadline and reacquire him at a lower price during the upcoming mega auction to free up crucial purse space. Speaking on JioStar's IPL 2026 'Retention Preview' on November 11, 2025, Finch highlighted Iyer's Rs 23.75 crore retention cost as "too high" given his inconsistent role and underutilized bowling, suggesting a buyback at a "reasonable price" could allow KKR to invest in backups. This comes as franchises finalize retentions by November 15, ahead of the December auction, with KKR—three-time champions—grappling with a Rs 120 crore purse after a dismal eighth-place finish in IPL 2025 under Ajinkya Rahane.
Iyer, 29, emerged as KKR's costliest buy in the 2025 auction, outbidding Rinku Singh (Rs 13 crore) and leaving just Rs 0.05 crore unspent, yet delivered a lacklustre 142 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 128.97, often slotted as a middle-order batter without his left-arm spin. Finch acknowledged Iyer's past heroics—top-scoring in 2021's final and contributing to the 2024 title—but noted his positional mismatch: "Paying 23.75 crore is too high for a player like Venkatesh Iyer, who has been used out of position as a middle-order batter without utilising his bowling." Releasing him would reclaim the hefty fee, enabling bids for versatile options like all-rounders or specialists to address KKR's 2025 weaknesses in death bowling and finishing.
Finch's verdict aligns with broader KKR dilemmas, where he also recommended releasing Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore) for a potential trade—though unlikely—and Quinton de Kock, prioritising youth like Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Harshit Rana. Under new head coach Abhishek Nayar—Gautam Gambhir's successor—the franchise eyes a reset after parting with Gambhir post-2024 triumph, retaining cores like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy while scouting auction gems. Iyer's international form, including a T20I half-century against South Africa in October 2025, bolsters his value, but KKR must weigh sentiment against squad balance.
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The strategy echoes past IPL manoeuvres, like the Mumbai Indians' 2022 release and repurchase of Ishan Kishan, but risks Iyer attracting rival bids from the Punjab Kings or Rajasthan Royals. As the deadline looms, Finch's advice underscores IPL's ruthless economics: talent alone doesn't justify tags, especially for a team aiming for playoff contention in a post-Gambhir era. KKR's call could redefine Iyer's Knight Riders legacy, blending loyalty with fiscal prudence.
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