KKR shelled out INR 23.75 crore to buy back Venkatesh Iyer during the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Despite seeing his IPL salary going from Rs 20 lakh to over Rs 20 crore in the last few years, Venkatesh remains as grounded as ever and isn't letting go of the idea of continuing his education.
In a recent interview, the KKR all-rounder revealed that he is currently pursuing PhD, having already completed an MBA degree. At 29, Venkatesh is already planning for the time when he would be 60.
"I come from an orthodox family, so it is tough to convince middle-class parents that I will pursue only cricket. But it was the other way around. I was big on academics. My parents wanted me to do well in the game as well. If a new guy walks into the MP (Madhya Pradesh) team, the first thing I ask him is 'padhai kar rahe ho ki nahi?' (are you studying or not?). Education will stay with you till you die, a cricketer cannot play till 60. You have to understand that there is a shelf life," Venkatesh said in an exclusive chat with The Indian Express.
Venkatesh also highlighted the power of education, saying that it helps in making the right decision on the field.
"After that, if you want to really excel in life, you have to be educated. Academics can give me the perfect switch-off from the game. I don't want to be thinking of the game all the time, it adds pressure. If I can do two things at the same time, I will. Being an educated person helps me make better decisions on the field as well. There will be a situation when it won't be just about the skill but whether you can make a better decision. I want cricketers to educate themselves not just with cricketing knowledge, but general knowledge as well. If you can complete your graduation or post-graduation, you definitely should. I am pursuing my PhD (finance) now. You will be interviewing me as Dr Venkatesh Iyer next time!," he remarked.
Venkatesh Iyer has represented India in 2 ODIs and 9 T20Is so far, scoring 157 runs and claiming five wickets. He has featured in 51 IPL matches for KKR in the last four seasons, amassing 1326 runs at a strike rate of 137.12 with one hundred and 11 half-centuries. He also has three IPL wickets to his name.