According to KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo, getting Venkatesh Iyer was one of our top priorities.

Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who is now the mentor of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, has defended the team’s strategy of going “all out” for Venkatesh Iyer to keep the “core” of the IPL-winning side intact. The acquisition of Venkatesh, who is seen as a potential candidate for the KKR captaincy, has led to some criticism as to why he was not retained if leadership was part of the team’s think tank’s plan for him. “Getting Venky (Venkatesh Iyer) was one of our top priorities, as you can see we have done our best for him,” said Bravo, a four-time IPL winner for Chennai Super Kings.

“It’s good that we have 90 percent of the players on the championship-winning team. This in itself is a positive sign.

“It’s important to keep your core, because when you have to build from scratch, it becomes difficult to put together combinations and all that.” “We started planning while I was in Trinidad. We had the right plan and the players we wanted to target,” added Bravo, who will be in charge of all Knight Riders franchises in the T20 leagues.

The 29-year-old all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, who has represented India in nine T20Is and two ODIs, emerged as the third most expensive player at the two-day IPL mega auction that concluded here on Monday with a staggering amount of Rs 23.75 crore.

Only Rishabh Pant (Lucknow, Rs 27 crore) and Shreyas Iyer (Punjab, Rs 26.75 crore) are ahead of Venkatesh in the list of most expensive players as he even eclipsed veteran Indian batter K.L. Rahul, the former captain of Lucknow Super Giants, who was acquired by Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore.

Bravo was also encouraged by KKR bringing in fiery pacer Umran Malik.

“I always admire the pace at which he operates—his work ethic, energy and everything. Happy that we managed to catch him.” KKR CEO and Managing Director Venky Mysore added: “The way the retention rules are set, the RTM rules, the salary caps, the standout players and the two-day auction, it certainly was definitely more demanding. Quite nervous because of the nuances: “The think tank was unanimously of the opinion that the structure should be preserved, which is what we did. We have also improved and modernized in some areas. I hope he continues to do well.” Mysore also highlighted the value that Rovman Powell will bring to the Kolkata Knight Riders team, highlighting his vast experience and leadership qualities.

“Rovman Powell, over the years we have seen what he has done in the CPL, other leagues and of course the IPL. He’s got a lot of experience leading the West Indies – that leadership experience, the captaincy and what he’s achieved – it all comes together to make him really special. It’s great to have him around.