Venkatesh Iyer Struggles Again as KKR Faces DC in IPL Clash

Venkatesh Iyer's Ongoing Struggles in IPL

New Delhi [India] - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Venkatesh Iyer's challenging performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) persisted as he recorded another disappointing score against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

In this match, Iyer managed to score only seven runs off five balls, hitting one four before being caught by skipper Axar Patel off the bowling of Vipraj Nigam, who delivered a high catch that Iyer could not elevate properly.

Throughout the current season, Iyer has played ten matches and batted in seven innings, accumulating just 142 runs with an average of 20.28 and a strike rate of 139.21, including a single half-century with a top score of 60.

This underwhelming performance is particularly notable as KKR had released him before the 2025 season, only to reacquire him for a hefty sum of Rs 23.75 crores.

Last season, Iyer was instrumental in KKR's first title victory in a decade, scoring 370 runs in 15 matches at an impressive average of 46.25 and a strike rate exceeding 158, which included four half-centuries, notably in the Qualifier and the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Since making his IPL debut with KKR in 2021, Iyer has amassed 1,468 runs at an average of 29.95 and a strike rate above 137 across 56 innings, with his highest score being 104.

His most successful season was in 2023, where he scored 404 runs in 14 matches, averaging 28.85 with a strike rate over 145, featuring a century and two half-centuries.

In the match against DC, the latter won the toss and chose to field first. KKR's top order contributed quick runs, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 26 off 12 balls, Sunil Narine 27 off 16, Ajinkya Rahane 26 off 14, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi leading with 44 off 32 balls. Raghuvanshi's partnership with Rinku Singh, who scored 36 off 25 balls, helped KKR reach a total of 204/9 in their 20 overs.

For DC, Mitchell Starc took 3 wickets for 43 runs, while Vipraj Nigam and Axar Patel claimed 2 wickets each, with figures of 41 and 27 runs respectively.

DC now requires 205 runs to secure their seventh victory of the season.