The 29-year-old credited his teammates, particularly skipper Ajinkya Rahane and young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, for guiding the team during the strategic time-out.
Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer shared key insights into his team’s dominant 80-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025, emphasizing that aggression in cricket is not about hitting sixes but about showing the correct intent.
Iyer, who played a blistering knock of 60 off 29 balls, leading KKR to a commanding total of 200, explained that true aggression lies in making smart decisions in response to the match situation. “Aggression isn’t about mindlessly hitting every ball for a boundary,” Iyer said. “It’s about reading the conditions and playing accordingly, making sure you maximise your opportunities.”
Reflecting on KKR’s batting strategy, Iyer stressed the importance of understanding the match context, noting that a reckless approach would not serve the team well in challenging conditions. “If we are 50 for six and I still go and tonk everything, that’s positive but not correct,” he stated.
The 29-year-old credited his teammates, particularly skipper Ajinkya Rahane and young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, for guiding the team during the strategic time-out. The duo helped Iyer reassess the pitch conditions, resulting in a crucial 81-run partnership. Rahane contributed 38 runs, while Raghuvanshi scored a valuable 50.
“The communication from Ajinkya and Angkrish made us realise that this wasn’t an easy pitch to just go out and hit. You have to take your time and build partnerships,” Iyer explained.
KKR’s strategy revolved around building a solid foundation through Iyer and Rinku Singh before unleashing the big-hitters in the death overs. Iyer felt confident with destructive players like Andre Russell in the line-up, allowing the team to accelerate late in the innings. “We have Rinku, Ramandeep, and Russell in the back end, which gives us the luxury to take a few balls to settle in. We know our engine room can demolish any bowling attack,” he added.
Discussing SRH’s ultra-aggressive batting approach, which failed to make an impact against KKR’s bowlers, Iyer acknowledged the risk that comes with such a style. “SRH’s ultra-aggressive nature always carries the risk of losing wickets, and that’s what we aimed to exploit,” he said. KKR’s bowlers, led by Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy (both claiming three wickets), successfully stifled SRH’s batting line-up.
Iyer also expressed his admiration for star pacer Mohammed Shami, who made his comeback to cricket after a long injury layoff. “As a cricket fan, I’m thrilled to see Shami Bhai back in action. He’s a challenging bowler to face, especially in the longer formats, but in T20, even the best bowlers know they can get hit for a boundary if they err,” Iyer concluded.
With this 80-run win, KKR showcased a blend of calculated aggression and strategic play, reaffirming their intent to perform well in IPL 2025.
