"He will be perfect for GT" - Anirudha Srikkanth's massive suggestion for Shubman Gill's team ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Anirudha Srikkanth believes Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star Venkatesh Iyer will be the perfect fit for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2026 IPL season. Despite qualifying for the playoffs, GT struggled with their middle-order batting, following an excellent top three of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler.

While each of the trio scored over 500 runs, no other GT batter crossed 300 runs, resulting in several underwhelming batting performances. Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer endured a torrid 2025 IPL season for KKR, after the franchise acquired the left-hander for a whopping ₹23.75 crores.

The 30-year-old scored only 142 runs in 11 matches at an average of 20.28 and a strike rate of under 140.

Talking about GT's auction plans days before the retention deadline on Star Sports, Anirudha said:

"An ideal fit for GT will be Venkatesh Iyer. He has gone for 23.75 crores so KKR will surely release him. He will be perfect for GT at the No. 4 position. GT have all the other positions covered. No other position is free. GT is actually a very settled team. They are only missing a batter in that position."

Venkatesh Iyer's struggles played a massive role in KKR's poor 2025 campaign, where they finished eighth in the standings with only five wins in 12 completed matches.

Venkatesh Iyer had back-to-back excellent IPL seasons before this year

Venkatesh Iyer struggled to cope with the expectations that potentially came with his sky-high auction price in IPL 2025. However, the southpaw shone for KKR in the previous two IPL seasons in 2023 and 2024.

Iyer scored 370 runs at an average of over 46 and a strike rate of almost 159 in KKR's title-winning run last year. He also enjoyed his lone 400+ season in 2023, finishing with 404 runs at a strike rate of 145.84 in 14 outings.

Batting aside, Iyer also serves as a valuable medium-pace option, evidenced by his five T20I wickets in nine games.