The bidding war for Venkatesh sparked quite a surprise at the mega auction for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, given that few had expected the all-rounder to attract such huge bids.

KKR was the first to spark the bidding war and they quickly outlasted Lucknow Super Giants. And just when it seemed a steal deal for the defending champions at INR 6.75 crore, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a surprise entry to push KKR to their limits. The three-time IPL winners eventually won the battle with a massive bid of INR 23.75 crore, which made Venkatesh the fourth-most expensive player at an auction.

Speaking to the broadcasters, Mysore admitted the uncertainty of an auction as he revealed that they were only looking to retain their core team that won the trophy last season.

“The auctions are this way only. At the end of the day, it is about the player you want and the type of player you want. It [the prices] surprises you all the time. When you have salary caps that keep going up, the prices will expand. For us, it was about keeping our core. We kept six players and have brought 2-3 players back from last year. That was the thinking. We definitely didn’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we would not want him back. But on an overall basis, it all balances out,” he said.

‘Venkatesh will be under pressure’

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Moody said that he was “shocked” at KKR’s stance as he reckoned the franchise could have retained him for a lower price if they were this “desperate” to keep him in the squad. He also predicted that the India player will be under pressure over the next three years to prove his slaray tag.

“I’m absolutely shocked because you know this deal could have been done before the auction if they were that desperate to get a player of his calibre. He is a good player and is worth 23.75 crore. Well, he’s got three years to prove his worth and I feel somehow he is going to struggle to have the impact that money suggests and will hence be under pressure with regards to living up to the expectation of that salary,” he told ESPNCricinfo.