Kolkata, April 4 Former England captain Eoin Morgan opined that all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer's whirlwind knock of 60 in Kolkata Knight Riders' commanding 80-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad could be the turning point in his IPL 2025 campaign after struggling in the first two outings.
Venkatesh, who was re-signed in the auction for Rs 23.75 crore by the defending champions, struggled in his first two games against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, registering scores of six and three, respectively, before coming out all guns blazing against SRH with his 29-ball 60, laced with seven boundaries and three maximums.
"We've seen big-money players struggle under the weight of expectations, but if this knock is anything to go by, it could kickstart Venkatesh Iyer’s 2025 season and boost KKR’s batting line-up," Morgan said on JioHotstar.
Morgan also commended Ajinkya Rahane’s calm and strategic leadership and said, "He was excellent. The ability to remove emotions from on-field decisions is a sign of a great leader, and Rahane did just that tonight. As a captain, you look for ways to press your advantage, and after taking early wickets, he did exactly that. His bowling changes were spot on and played a key role in shaping the outcome of the game."
After an early collapse, half-centuries from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Venkatesh propelled KKR to a commanding 200/6 in 20 overs. The hosts then bowled SRH out for just 120, with Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy claiming three wickets each.
Morgan also lauded KKR's dominant display against SRH, highlighting their all-round performance and tactical brilliance. "They absolutely blew them away, and for me, that’s a great sign of character. When you suffer a heavy defeat, especially away from home, bouncing back is never easy. Varun Chakravarthy summed it up well - there was no blame game, just belief in their ability. The batters stepped up, and the bowlers capitalised on every opportunity, delivering a 5-0 powerplay - a phenomenal effort," said Morgan.
"Taking out key opposition players early makes a massive impact, and KKR did that brilliantly. Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy stood out. He managed his bowling options smartly - holding back Andre Russell, not using Moeen Ali or Venkatesh Iyer, and going straight for the kill. That’s exactly the kind of approach you expect from a team that had its back against the wall," he concluded.
Kolkata will host Lucknow Super Giants next week after the match was postponed from April 6 to April 8 owing to Ramanavami festivities.
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