Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who is now the mentor of reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders, has defended the team’s strategy of “going all out” for Venkatesh Iyer to keep the “core” of the IPL championship-winning side intact.

Seen as a potential captaincy candidate for KKR, Venkatesh’s acquisition (R23.75 crore) has sparked some criticism over why he wasn’t retained if leadership was part of the team thinktank’s plan for him.