Venkatesh Iyer’s underwhelming performances, including a sluggish 14 off 19 against Gujarat Titans, have sparked heavy criticism as KKR’s IPL 2025 campaign falters with five losses in eight matches.
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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) find themselves spiraling into uncertainty as the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) crosses the halfway mark. With their fifth defeat in eight matches—this time a 39-run loss to Gujarat Titans—the defending champions are under intense scrutiny, and no player embodies the team’s struggles more than their high-profile recruit: Venkatesh Iyer. Once hailed as the X-factor in KKR’s title-winning 2024 campaign, Iyer’s form has nosedived alarmingly in IPL 2025. And social media hasn’t held back, especially after his sluggish 14 off 19 balls in Monday’s clash—an innings that felt more like a handbrake than a counter-attack in a 199-run chase.

 pic.twitter.com/3eHMfFlPgr

— atif.reds (@atifreds) April 21, 2025

BIG Blunders KKR :

#KKRvsGTpic.twitter.com/yjyGIRsVSE — Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) April 21, 2025

#KKRvsGT pic.twitter.com/3mR1xS0TiK — SM (@dickjorsey) April 21, 2025

 #KKRvsGT #venkateshiyer pic.twitter.com/12gLgGmw1C

(@ashokpubgtw) April 21, 2025

Also Read: Match-Fixing In IPL 2025? Rahul Dravid’s Rajasthan Royals Accused By Rajasthan Cricket Association, Investigation Demanded

From Trophy Hero to Trending Villain: Venkatesh Iyer’s Fall from Grace

 pic.twitter.com/3eHMfFlPgr

— atif.reds (@atifreds) April 21, 2025
BIG Blunders KKR :

#KKRvsGTpic.twitter.com/yjyGIRsVSE — Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) April 21, 2025

#KKRvsGT pic.twitter.com/3mR1xS0TiK — SM (@dickjorsey) April 21, 2025
 #KKRvsGT #venkateshiyer pic.twitter.com/12gLgGmw1C

(@ashokpubgtw) April 21, 2025
Bought for a staggering ₹23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, Venkatesh Iyer was expected to lead the charge with the bat. Instead, he has become a lightning rod for criticism. His stats paint a grim picture: just 135 runs in six innings at a modest average of 22.50 and a strike rate of 139.2. Compare that to his 2024 season, where he amassed 370 runs at an average of 46.25 with a blistering 158.8 strike rate—it’s night and day.
Against Gujarat Titans, Iyer walked in during a precarious 43/2 scenario and failed to shift gears. His 19-ball stay produced no boundaries and a dismal strike rate of 73.68—the slowest of his IPL career. In stark contrast, former KKR star Shubman Gill lit up the stage with a commanding 90 off 55 balls, further stoking the debate: Did KKR back the wrong man?

Gill vs Iyer: A Tale of Two Batters and Franchise Regret

Shubman Gill’s elegant knock not only powered Gujarat Titans to 198/3 but also reignited conversations around KKR’s controversial decision to retain Iyer over Gill back in 2021. That one move, now looked at through a 2025 lens, seems increasingly like a miscalculation.
While Gill has matured into a consistent run machine and GT’s batting mainstay, Iyer has struggled to sustain the brilliance that once made him indispensable. Monday’s failure felt like the tipping point—especially with Gill’s match-winning knock unfolding on the same night.

KKR’s Opening Woes Worsen: Four Openers, No Solutions

The problems don’t end with Iyer. KKR’s opening combination has been a revolving door of underwhelming performances. Across eight matches, the opening partnerships have yielded just 152 runs at an average of 19—the lowest among all teams. The frequent chopping and changing between Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Moeen Ali has led to instability, and it’s reflected in their results.
Even in the game against GT, Gurbaz was dismissed for just 1 by Mohammed Siraj, while Narine contributed a brief 17. With no stability at the top, and Iyer faltering at No. 4, the chase was always going to be an uphill battle.

Ajinkya Rahane Shines Amid the Chaos

In what was one of the few bright spots for KKR, veteran Ajinkya Rahane played a fluent knock of 50 off 36 balls, showing composure and class under pressure. However, without meaningful support from the other end, Rahane’s effort felt like fighting a forest fire with a garden hose.
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