“If you are not trying then you can’t kill six”: Venkatesh Iyer separated from ‘lack of intentions’

Venkatesh Iyer’s dirty batting approach, after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2025, was surprised by fans and experts, after the damage to Gujarat Titans. 199, chasing Venkatesh, who came to bat. 4 in-form Angkrish ahead of Raghuvanshi, R Sai Kishore scored just 14 runs in 19 delivery before he was out of his grief. Talking to ESPNCRICINFO after the match, former Australia captain Aaron Finch exploded Venkatesh and questioned his intentions that KKR was reduced by 39 runs at the end.

“It is intended to move down. If you are not trying then you cannot kill a six or a limit. If your first instinct is just to knock towards the foot, and to run one, you are not hiding for anything. It was just mesmerizing, it was just mesmerizing, lack of intentions,” said a former team of KKR.

Finch’s feelings were echoed by Cheteshwar Pujara, who was also surprised by the lack of intentions during Venkatesh’s knock.

“I don’t know when the time-out was, because I also think that many times this happens where, as a batsman, you feel a little challenging the circumstances, so you want to knock it from all around. But, when you have time, when you have time, when coaches and assistant employees come, you make another strategy,” Pujara said during the same discussion.

However, Pujara also questioned the role of KKR management.

He said, “I agree that Venkatesh did not play the role he should have been played, but at the same time, was he told that when Rashid was bowling, he only had to knock? I don’t know what the message was,” he said.

Venkatesh, which was purchased by KKR for Rs 23.75 crore during the mega auction, has failed to stay up to its heavy price tag. So far in eight matches, Venkatesh has scored an average of 135 runs on an average of 22.50.