04 Apr, 2025 | 10:23 AM

Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) star batter Venkatesh Iyer explained his measured approach during his blistering 29-ball 60 in their 200/6 total against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), emphasizing that aggression in cricket is not about blindly attacking every ball but about understanding the conditions and playing accordingly.

Iyer’s partnership with Rinku Singh, which yielded a rapid 91 runs off just 41 balls, played a crucial role in shifting the momentum in KKR's favor, taking their total from a more modest 122/4 to a challenging 200/6. Despite his explosive knock, Iyer highlighted the importance of taking time to settle in, especially on a tricky pitch where the ball was sticking and turning.

“It’s not an easy pitch to just go out there and hit,” Venkatesh said after the match. "You have to take your time. The ball was sticking a little, it was turning. So, the key was to understand the pitch first and then react accordingly. We had that luxury because we know we have players like Rinku, Andre Russell, and others coming in later."

Iyer explained that the plan was to gauge the surface before accelerating, knowing that the depth in the KKR batting line-up provided them the freedom to play with confidence. “Even if I took a few balls to get set, we still had a strong finish lined up with the likes of Russell, Ramandeep, and Moeen Ali. That’s the luxury we had," he said.

Iyer and Rinku Singh began to accelerate after the 15th over, with both batters finding their rhythm after spending some time at the crease. Reflecting on his initial struggles in the tournament, where he managed scores of just 3 and 6 in his first two matches, Iyer admitted he had been "rushing a little" earlier on.

“We wanted to be a team that posts ‘20 runs above par,’ not just swing from ball one,” said Iyer. “It’s crucial to show positive but correct intent. Aggression does not mean tonking every ball for sixes. It’s about how you understand the conditions and maximize them to your advantage. That’s the real aggression.”

Iyer also expressed that KKR’s goal was to be consistent, understanding the pitch and the conditions quickly to adapt their approach. “We want to be a team that can assess the par score and aim to score 20 runs above it. We don’t want to be a team that scores 250 when playing well and then gets bowled out for 70 when things aren’t going our way."

Although KKR's total wasn’t entirely comfortable, with SRH having the potential to chase down big targets, Iyer acknowledged the effectiveness of their bowling attack, particularly Vaibhav Arora’s impressive new-ball spell. Arora’s early breakthroughs were key in putting pressure on SRH’s top order, which eventually led to a comprehensive 80-run victory for KKR.

“Even after scoring 220, sometimes we feel that teams can chase it down,” said Iyer. “But we knew that an ultra-aggressive team always carries the risk of losing wickets early. We wanted to exploit that, and that’s what Vaibhav Arora did, especially with his performance in the powerplay.”

Iyer’s philosophy on aggression, paired with his own composed batting and KKR’s strong bowling attack, helped seal a dominant win over SRH, pushing them to the top of the IPL points table.