Venkatesh Iyer: "Aggression Isn't Just About Hitting Every Ball for Six"
As Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wrapped up their innings at 200 for 6 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Venkatesh Iyer shared a quiet moment with Angkrish Raghuvanshi—a gesture that, while understated, reflected satisfaction in having given their bowlers a strong total to defend. From 122 for 4 after 15 overs, a late surge led by Venkatesh and Rinku Singh helped shift momentum decisively in KKR’s favour.
The pair added a rapid 91 runs off just 41 balls, transforming what could have been a chaseable target into a daunting one. Venkatesh, who top-scored with a 29-ball 60, later explained that aggression in T20 cricket doesn't always mean swinging at everything.
“In today’s game, batters are expected to go hard from ball one,” Venkatesh said. “But sometimes, it’s smarter to take a few balls to assess the pitch. That was the message from Ajinkya [Rahane] and Angkrish during the time-out. The pitch was slightly sticky and offered turn, so we needed to understand the conditions before attacking.”
Thanks to the depth in KKR’s lineup—with Rinku, Ramandeep, Russell, and Moeen Ali waiting in the wings—Venkatesh said he had the luxury of taking a moment to settle in before accelerating.
“If I take a few balls to assess the pitch, I know we still have the firepower to go big later. Rinku and I took our time, and once we reached the 17th over, we knew it was time to launch. That calculated approach gave us the finish we wanted.”
Venkatesh also emphasized the importance of reading the game situation rather than blindly swinging for the fences.
“We weren’t just trying to clear the ropes from the get-go. Even Russell or Ramandeep would’ve needed a few deliveries to adjust if they had walked in late. We just happened to be the set batters, so it made sense for us to take the responsibility and finish strong,” he explained.
Reflecting on his earlier struggles in the tournament, Venkatesh admitted to “rushing a bit” in his first two innings, which resulted in scores of 3 and 6. He stressed the need for “positive but correct intent.”
“Aggression doesn’t mean trying to hit every ball for six,” he said. “It’s about understanding the conditions and making the most of them. We don’t want to be a team that either scores 250 or collapses for 70. The goal is to read the surface, gauge the par score, and aim to post 20 runs more than that.”
Though KKR’s total of 200 wasn’t entirely foolproof against a powerful SRH batting lineup, Venkatesh praised the bowling unit—particularly Player of the Match Vaibhav Arora, who took 3 for 29—to ensure their efforts with the bat weren’t in vain.
“Even 220 can sometimes feel short against a team like SRH. But we knew their aggressive style also makes them vulnerable early. Vaibhav exploited that perfectly in the powerplay. When a team swings hard at every ball, there’s always a chance to strike early. That’s what we planned for—and it paid off.”