Venkatesh Iyer really shined during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens on Thursday. With his impressive performance, he led KKR to a solid 80-run victory. Iyer, who was bought for a whopping INR 23.75 crore, showed everyone that his worth isn’t just in the money he makes. He blasted an incredible 60 runs off just 29 balls, proving that he’s worth every penny by contributing significantly to the team’s performance. Iyer spoke to reporters after the match, expressing that once the IPL kicks off, the focus should be on playing well, not on the hefty price tags attached to players. He said, “After the IPL starts, it doesn’t really matter if you’re getting paid Rs 20 lakh or Rs 20 crore. The number beside your name doesn’t dictate how you play. There are high expectations, but my goal is to help my team win.”
He really turned things around in the 19th over against SRH skipper Pat Cummins, helping KKR rack up an impressive total, scoring 78 runs in the final five overs and hitting over 200 runs for the first time this season. When asked about his batting, Venkatesh made sure to credit his teammates, specifically Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. He pointed out that they did the groundwork during their partnership, which set the tone for the rest of the batting order. He emphasized that understanding the pitch conditions is key to success. “The ball was gripping and turning a bit, so it was essential for us to not just swing wildly but to take our time and learn what the pitch was giving us. Thankfully, I had Rinku, Ramandeep, and Russell to support me at the end. Even if I had a slower start, I knew they could handle themselves,” he explained.
Venkatesh also reflected on the team’s strategy for the end of their innings. He noted that getting accustomed to the pitch is not automatic when you step in as a new batter. “To be honest, even if Ramandeep and Russell came in during the 18th over, they would still need a couple of deliveries to adjust. Rinku and I were lucky enough to get in early, so by the time we hit the 17th over, we felt ready to open up and go for it,” he said. “We’d taken enough time to assess the situation. We were confident to take our chances, especially knowing we had a few more batters coming in afterward. It was all about putting in the time to make sure we executed our plans well.”
With the rise in discussions around aggressive batting strategies, Venkatesh discussed KKR’s approach. “To me, aggression is really about having the right mindset. It’s crucial for us to be positive, but we have to make sure we do it correctly.”
On the bowling side of things, Vaibhav Arora set the tone perfectly for KKR by taking down Travis Head and Ishan Kishan early on, and Harshit Rana followed up by getting Abhishek Sharma out. SRH found themselves in a tough spot, sitting at just 9 runs for 3 wickets in the second over. The team struggled to recover from that jolt, with KKR’s spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, keeping the pressure on and stifling SRH’s batting order.
Venkatesh soon praised his bowlers, sharing how their meticulous planning paid off during the game. “We always knew that a team playing with lots of aggression carries a risk of losing wickets. We were ready to take advantage of that,” he said confidently.
After the match, SRH’s pace bowling coach, James Franklin, had to admit that chasing down 200 runs was definitely doable. He noted that KKR scored freely toward the end of their innings, mentioning that they put on around 60 runs in the last four overs. Even so, he felt that his team was still very much in the game at halftime. “But losing three wickets within those first three overs set us back significantly,” Franklin explained.
He did acknowledge the natural batting style of their top-order players, saying, “We don’t want to stifle that free-flowing style since it can be breathtaking when it clicks. Unfortunately, in the last couple of games, it just hasn’t gone to plan.
