KKR Star, Salary Of Rs 23.75 Crore, Pursuing PhD. Puts Education Over Sport

Bought for a whopping price of INR 23.75 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, Venkatesh Iyer remains as grounded as ever. Despite seeing his IPL salary rising from Rs 20 lakh to over Rs 20 crore in a few years, Venkatesh isn't letting go of the idea of continuing his education. In fact, in an interview, the Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder revealed that he is already pursuing PhD, having already done an MBA. Venkatesh might be 29 at the moment but he is already thinking of the time when he would be 60.

In an interview with the Indian Express, Venkatesh revealed that the first question he asks a player who comes into the Madhya Pradesh (state domestic team) side is if he is continuing his education or not.

"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," he said.

Venkatesh, thanks to the values his parents have taught him, feels being educated helps in making the right decision on the field too.

"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 asserted.