Kolkata Knight Riders parted ways with Venkatesh Iyer following their IPL championship victory last year, only to invest an impressive ₹23.75 crore to reacquire him during the mega auction. This amount ranked as the third-highest, surpassed only by Rishabh Pant at ₹27 crore and Shreyas Iyer at ₹26.75 crore. Since his debut in the middle of 2021, Venkatesh has consistently delivered strong performances for KKR, achieving over 350 runs each season, except for a lackluster 2022. However, this year, he has garnered significant attention, primarily due to his substantial price tag. KKR had already utilized their complete retention capacity by keeping Rinku Singh, Varun Chakarvarthy, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh, but Iyer's auction price overshadowed them all.

After Venkatesh Iyer managed only 9 runs in his first two matches of IPL 2025—having not batted in the second game—doubts began to surface. Nevertheless, Iyer remained unfazed, confident in his understanding of his role. He emphasized that being KKR's highest-paid player does not impose an obligation to perform in every match.

"Once the IPL begins, the amount you were sold for, whether ₹20 lakh or ₹20 crore, becomes irrelevant. The financial aspect does not dictate how one plays cricket," Iyer stated during the post-match press conference, where he silenced his critics with a remarkable 60 runs off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, aiding his team in returning to form in the 18th season.

"We have a promising young talent, Angrish Raghuvanshi, who is excelling. I understand that discussions about high salaries and expectations will arise frequently, but my focus is on contributing to the team's success. There will be challenging moments when the team needs me to play cautiously. If I can fulfill that role, even without scoring heavily, I have accomplished my responsibility. Being the highest-paid cricketer does not mean I must score in every match; it is about making an impact."

Indeed, there is a certain level of pressure, and I won't deny it. However, this pressure is not related to financial aspects; rather, it revolves around my ability to contribute to the team's success," he remarked.

Iyer showcased an impressive display of power hitting, striking two sixes and six fours in just 12 balls during the final overs. His aggressive performance included scoring 20 runs off SRH captain Pat Cummins in the 19th over. "I don't focus on who is bowling. My attention is always directed towards the delivery and the field placement," he stated.

Venkatesh Iyer shares thoughts on Kolkata pitch after KKR beat SRH

Venkatesh Iyer expressed his views on the Kolkata pitch following KKR's victory over SRH. He noted that the pitch was challenging for batting, as even some of the most proficient strikers, such as Quinton de Kock, Abhishek Sharma, and Travis Head, struggled to gauge its pace. Iyer mentioned that it was tough to start hitting immediately, and both he and Rinku Singh (32* off 17) required a few balls to acclimate to the pitch's conditions.

"The primary communication came from Ajinkya and Angrish while they were batting. They indicated that it was not an easy pitch to play on. The ball was gripping and turning, so it was crucial for us to avoid wasting deliveries while also understanding the pitch's characteristics. We are fortunate to have Rinku, Russell, and Ramandeep in the lower order, providing us with a strong batting lineup capable of dismantling any bowling attack," Iyer added.

There has been considerable attention on the Eden Gardens pitch since the curator announced that he would not tailor the 22 yards to meet the franchise's preferences. Iyer mentioned that while having a home advantage would be beneficial, he does not support influencing the curators' decisions.

"Now that we have secured a win, we can certainly consider it a good pitch. It was competitive, and to be honest, we bowled exceptionally well. We set a par score at Eden and utilized the conditions effectively. I believe that the pitch should not be dictated in a specific manner. As professional cricketers, we must adapt to whatever conditions we face, but it would certainly be advantageous to have favorable conditions at our home ground."

After scoring 200/6, KKR successfully bowled out SRH for 120 in just 16.4 overs, winning the match by 80 runs.

Aggression involves demonstrating a positive yet appropriate intent. For instance, if we are at 15/6, simply hitting every ball for six may seem positive, but it is not the right approach. To truly consider ourselves a champion team and intelligent cricketers, we must assess the situation and respond with calculated aggression. Aggression does not equate to indiscriminately hitting every delivery for six; rather, it is about comprehending the context and leveraging it to our advantage. We aim to avoid being the team that scores 250 runs only to be bowled out for 70," Iyer remarked.

Read Also: KKR Dominates SRH on Uneven Eden Surface

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