Venkatesh Iyer picks his all-time T20 XI, leaves out Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli [Exclusive]

Tall-lanky all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was released by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The Indore-born, whose IPL value skyrocketed from INR 20 lakh to a whopping INR 23.75 crore in 2025, will now re-enter the auction pool. Meanwhile, Iyer recently named his all-time T20 XI, and has notably left out both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are considered two of the greatest white-ball players of all time.

In an exclusive conversation with CricTracker, Iyer named his dream T20 lineup. He omitted two of the biggest players in the format. Notably, Iyer made his international debut under Rohit, shared the dressing room with Kohli, and has spoken previously about learning from both.

He named Virender Sehwag and Abhishek Sharma as the two openers, who have scored 4061 and 4511 T20 runs, respectively. While Sehwag was one of the feared batters of his time, Abhishek is currently the World No.1 T20I batter. 

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At No. 3 and 4, he picked AB de Villiers and Suresh Raina, two of the most consistent players in the shortest format of the game. De Villiers’ 360-degree skill-set and Raina’s record as "Mr. IPL" form the backbone of the batting unit. Together, they’ve smashed over 11,000 T20 runs combined, with strike rates hovering around or above 140.

The two all-rounder's include current England Test skipper Ben Stokes and India's Hardik Pandya. While Stokes has showcased his brilliance performing in pressure situations, Hardik’s finishing ability and impact with the ball make it a deadly duo. Behind the stumps and leading the team is MS Dhoni. Over 7,000 T20 runs, a strike rate above 130, and three ICC trophies have led to his selection as captain and wicketkeeper in this XI.

Iyer’s bowling attack includes just one Indian, in the form of Jasprit Bumrah. Along with Bumrah, he has included Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, and Lasith Malinga. He also named Matthew Hayden as the 12th man, an impact substitute option.

Venkatesh Iyer's All-time T20 XI [CricTracker]:

Virender Sehwag, Abhishek Sharma, AB de Villiers, Suresh Raina, Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (c, wk), Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Matthew Hayden (12th Man, Impact)