‘I was subjected to a lot of hate’: RCB star reveals how fans trolled him whenever Shubman Gill hit a ton

Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer (PTI Photo) Venkatesh Iyer has opened up about the long-standing online backlash he faced from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fans following the franchise’s decision to retain him while releasing Shubman Gill ahead of IPL 2022. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batsman has revealed that criticism has persisted over the years and fans are still attacking him a century on.Gill was released by KKR ahead of the 2022 season and subsequently became one of the three players drafted by the newly formed Gujarat Titans (GT), who secured his services for Rs 8 crore along with Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan.In a podcast with Aakash Chopra, Venkatesh recalled how KKR supporters repeatedly mentioned the franchise’s decision, which made him the target of trolling on social media.“I have been exposed to a lot of hate for a long time. Even till today, if Shubman gets a hundred; you go to the KKR page, people will comment, ‘We lost a diamond in search of gold’ and all these things,” Venkatesh said.The 31-year-old also discussed his situation ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, especially after KKR decided to release him. He revealed that he even reached out to franchise co-owner Shah Rukh Khan in hopes of reversing the decision.“I kept my handkerchief on my side. I even asked Shah Rukh sir,” he said.KKR spent Rs 23.75 crore to buy out Venkatesh ahead of the 2025 season. However, after his release, the all-rounder admitted that he had already moved on mentally and was not even considering returning to the franchise during the 2026 auction.“I wasn’t even thinking about taking a pay cut. I was already thinking, ‘Okay, it’s not going to be purple,'” he said.Venkatesh eventually signed for defending champions RCB, where he got an opportunity to experience a completely different fan culture. The batter was particularly struck by the devotion of the Bengaluru supporters and described their connection with the franchise as something he had never seen before.“You won’t believe it, but I saw people actually worshiping the RCB jersey before the matches. This was something else. Fandom on a different level,” recalled Venkatesh.His early days at RCB included spending time on the bench before being introduced as an Impact Substitute after the team suffered an early collapse in the batting order. He responded with an unbeaten 29 off 15 deliveries, helping RCB reach 201/8, though the team eventually lost the match.Venkatesh later produced another impressive performance against Punjab Kings, remaining unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls.He finished the season with 209 runs from seven matches at an average of 52.25, playing his part in RCB’s successful campaign as the franchise clinched their second consecutive IPL title.

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