Venkatesh Iyer Shines as Kolkata Knight Riders Dominate Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025
Venkatesh Iyer's Aggressive Performance Leads KKR to Victory
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 4: Venkatesh Iyer showcased his interpretation of aggression during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against the high-scoring Sunrisers Hyderabad at the renowned Eden Gardens.
After a slow start in the tournament, where he scored only 3 and 6 runs in his initial matches, the Kolkata Knight Riders' vice-captain made a significant impact against the Sunrisers.
Following the dismissal of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, KKR found themselves struggling at 106/4 in the 13th over. Iyer then accelerated the innings, smashing an impressive 60 runs off just 29 balls, achieving a remarkable strike rate of 206.90, which included seven fours and three sixes.
His explosive innings, along with Rinku Singh's unbeaten 32, propelled the defending champions to a total of 200/6, which was 80 runs more than what the Sunrisers managed to score.
In the post-match press conference, Iyer emphasized the importance of demonstrating positive intent while also making the right decisions. He stated, "If we are 50/6 and I still go and tonk everything, that’s positive, but that’s not correct. Aggression does not mean tonking every ball for sixes."
He elaborated on the need to read the pitch conditions effectively and to aim for a score that exceeds the par by about 20 runs, rather than being overly aggressive and risking early wickets.
Despite their competitive score, Iyer admitted that they felt uneasy, especially against a formidable team like the Sunrisers. He praised Vaibhav Arora for his outstanding performance, which earned him the Player of the Match title, as he played a crucial role in shifting the momentum in KKR's favor during the powerplay.
"Even after scoring 220, sometimes we feel that they can chase it," he noted. "But we always knew that a team which is ultra-aggressive carries the risk of losing wickets. That’s what we wanted to exploit. Vaibhav Arora, who bowls in the powerplay, did just that by taking key wickets early on," he added.
Arora dismantled Hyderabad's top order, taking out explosive batsmen Travis Head (4) and Ishan Kishan (2) cheaply. He later returned to claim the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen, finishing with impressive figures of 3/29.
Arora's impactful spell set the stage for Kolkata's comfortable 80-run victory, allowing them to climb to the fifth position in the standings with four points.