“It was just mesmerising, the lack of intent” - Former RCB player’s scathing attack on Venkatesh Iyer after KKR vs GT IPL 2025 match

Former cricketer Aaron Finch was puzzled by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Venkatesh Iyer's approach during the run chase against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Eden Gardens on Monday, April 21. The left-handed batter scored 14 runs off 19 deliveries, before being dismissed by R Sai Kishore in the crushing 39-run defeat.

KKR were handed a 199-run target after Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan's heroics with the bat in the first innings. Venkatesh Iyer came in at No.4 over Angkrish Raghuvanshi in the final over of the powerplay amid yet another top-order flop show. After recording 45 runs off the first six overs, the defending champions were in need of a push in the middle overs.

However, Iyer was pinned down by the GT spin trio of Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, and R Sai Kishore. He failed to hit a single boundary in his innings, and holed out to deep midwicket to end his struggling stay at the crease. By the time the left-handed batter perished, the score worsened to 84-3 in the 12th over, with the required rate climbing to close to 14 runs per over.

Aaron Finch questioned Venkatesh Iyer's intent after his scratchy innings against GT.

"It's an intent to take it down. You can't hit a six or a boundary if you are not trying to. If your first instinct is to just knock it to the leg side, and run one, you are on a hiding to nothing. It was just mesmerising, the lack of intent," Finch said on ESPN Cricinfo.

Barring a free-flowing fifty in the home game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Venkatesh Iyer has struggled to get going in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Overall, he has scored 135 runs at an average of 22.50, with a strike rate of 139.18 in the campaign.

"I don't know what the message was" - Cheteshwar Pujara on Venkatesh Iyer's innings against GT in IPL 2025

Former KKR player Cheteshwar Pujara also highlighted Venkatesh Iyer's lack of intent, but also questioned the team management's role in the way he approached his innings.

"I don't know when was the time-out, because I also feel that there are times where, as a batter, you feel the conditions a little challenging so you just want to knock it around. But, when you have time out, that's when the coaches and the support staff, comes in, and then you make another strategy," Pujara said on ESPN Cricinfo.

I do agree that Venkatesh didn't play the role that he should have played, but at the same time, was he told that he just had to knock around when Rashid was bowling? I don't know what the message was," Pujara added

KKR will next face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, April 26.