Venkatesh Iyer delivered a resounding response to his critics with a scintillating 60 off just 29 balls, guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to a dominant 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League encounter here on Thursday.
A composed half-century from Angkrish Raghuvanshi (50 off 32 balls, 5x4, 2x6) in an 81-run stand with captain Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27 balls) laid a strong foundation. Iyer, in tandem with Rinku Singh (32 not out off 17 balls), then unleashed a ferocious 91-run partnership in just 41 deliveries, propelling KKR to their highest total of the season at 200 for 6.
The KKR pacers ensured there was no respite for SRH. Vaibhav Arora struck early, removing the dangerous Travis Head (4) and Ishan Kishan (2) in successive overs to finish with an impressive 3 for 29 in four overs. Harshit Rana accounted for Abhishek Sharma (2), reducing SRH to 9 for 3 within the first three overs. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine further compounded their woes, leaving them tottering at 66 for 5 inside 10 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy then sliced through the lower order, taking two wickets in as many deliveries and returning figures of 3 for 22 in four overs, as SRH capitulated for 120 in just 16.4 overs.
This emphatic win restored KKR’s momentum after a shaky start to their campaign, having lost two of their first three matches. They now prepare to face Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. Meanwhile, SRH, who have suffered three consecutive defeats, will return home to face Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
After being reduced to 9 for 3, Nitish Reddy (19) momentarily countered Arora with two boundaries and a six. Kamindu Mendis (27 off 20 balls) attempted a fightback, dispatching Andre Russell for a six over deep square leg. However, Russell had the last laugh, dismissing Reddy before Narine accounted for Mendis in the 10th over, leaving SRH in dire straits at the halfway mark.
Earlier, KKR’s new opening pair failed to fire, with Quinton de Kock (1) and Narine (7) departing cheaply. However, Rahane and Raghuvanshi steadied the innings, displaying maturity against early movement. Rahane broke the shackles with consecutive pull-shot sixes off Shami and Cummins, guiding KKR to 53 for 2 after the powerplay.
Raghuvanshi’s stroke play was a delight, highlighted by elegant drives and a well-executed reverse hit past backward point. He reached his maiden IPL fifty in 30 balls before falling to a stunning forward-diving catch off debutant Kamindu Mendis.
The middle overs saw a brief lull before Iyer took charge, smashing a pull off a Simarjeet Singh beamer to regain momentum. Rinku followed suit with three consecutive boundaries off Harshal Patel, before Iyer launched an all-out assault on Cummins in the 19th over, plundering 4, 6, 4, 4 in succession. The duo amassed 78 runs in the last five overs, lifting KKR to a formidable total.
Cummins’ reluctance to deploy his spinners despite variable bounce was questioned. Mendis (1 for 4) was not given another over after his crucial breakthrough, while Zeeshan Ansari bowled just three overs (1 for 25). Instead, Cummins backed his pace attack, which proved ineffective against Iyer and Rinku’s late onslaught.
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