Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer emphasised that while aggressive cricket is essential, players must also adapt to match situations rather than mindlessly attacking from the first ball.
Venkatesh, who became the most expensive all-rounder in the IPL after being bought for INR 23.75 crore in the mega-auction, entered the match with some scratchy form behind him. He bounced back with a 29-ball 60, studded with seven fours and three sixes.
Defending the total, KKR delivered a clinical all-round bowling performance, skittling SRH for just 120 runs in 16.4 overs. The visitors lost their dangerous top three – Travis Head (4), Abhishek Sharma (2), and Ishan Kishan (2) – for a mere nine runs and never recovered from the early collapse.
Having played a decisive role in his team’s second win in four matches, Venkatesh emphasised the necessity of taking time in the middle and not slamming every ball out of the park.
Venkatesh Iyer: KKR don't want to be a 250 or 70 all out team
"The basic meaning of aggression is showing a positive intent. And we play cricket, it's very important for us to show positive but correct intent. You know, if we are 50-6 and I still go and tonk everything, that's positive, but that's not correct. So if we are to call ourselves champions, if we are to call ourselves smart cricketers, it's very important for us to read any situation and then react aggressively," Venkatesh told reporters after the match.
"Aggression does not mean tonking every ball for six. It's about how you understand the conditions, how you are able to maximise the conditions in your favour. And that is what aggression actually is. That is what we as a team want to play."
First win at home 💜 pic.twitter.com/jyW4zmWchx
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 3, 2025
Venkatesh were on 11 off 10 balls initially and accelerated thereafter. Speaking on his string of low scores – 3 and 6 – in his first two knocks, he said he was "rushing a little" and further stated their motto as a team is to post "20 runs above par" rather than swinging from ball one.
"We don't want to be the team that, you know, when we hit it we score 250 and when we don't we get out for 70 - we don't want to be that team. We want to be a team that understands the pitch and the conditions quickly and assess what is a par score on that pitch and always try to make 20 runs above par. That is what aggression for KKR means," he added.
