Kolkata Knight Riders’ big-money signing Venkatesh Iyer is under fire once again after yet another underwhelming performance in the IPL 2025 season. Playing against Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens, the left-handed batter managed just 14 off 19 balls, striking at a sluggish 73.68, in a daunting 199-run chase.
Iyer, who was picked for a staggering INR 23.75 crore at the auction, has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season so far. His innings on Monday lacked intent, timing, and clarity — further fuelling fan outrage over his performance.
Despite stitching a 41-run partnership with skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Iyer’s inability to rotate strike or find boundaries forced Rahane to take extra risks — a gamble that didn’t quite pay off for KKR.
The Eden Gardens crowd watched in dismay as Iyer scratched around before falling to R Sai Kishore, mistiming a sweep shot straight into the hands of Washington Sundar at deep mid-wicket.
Fans React: “INR 23.75 Crore Fraud” Trends on Social Media
Iyer’s labored stay at the crease became a talking point across social media. Fans expressed frustration over his massive price tag, with many dubbing him an “INR 23.75 crore fraud.” Here’s a snapshot of what X (formerly Twitter) had to say:
- “23.75 crore for this? Even a rookie can score 14 off 19. Absolute robbery.”
- “Venkatesh Iyer can’t hide behind price tags anymore. This is unacceptable.”
- “He has become a liability at this point. Time for KKR to look beyond Iyer.”
So far this season, Venkatesh has scored 129 runs in 8 matches at a modest average of 25.80, numbers that hardly justify the hefty investment.
Gujarat Titans Dominate with the Bat
Earlier in the match, Gujarat Titans flexed their batting muscle after being sent in to bat first. The dynamic duo of Shubman Gill (90 off 55) and Sai Sudharsan (52 off 37) laid the perfect foundation with a 114-run opening stand.
Gill, in particular, was sublime — finding gaps effortlessly and playing a captain’s knock. However, he narrowly missed out on a century, swat-flicking a full toss straight to Rinku Singh. His innings included 10 fours and 3 sixes, keeping GT on course for a competitive total.
While Jos Buttler started aggressively, he slowed down in the death overs and finished with an unbeaten 41 off 23 balls, striking 8 boundaries but failing to clear the ropes even once.
KKR’s Batting Woes Continue
Chasing 199, KKR lost both openers — Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) and Sunil Narine (17) — inside the powerplay. The early wickets put pressure on Ajinkya Rahane, who once again rose to the challenge with a 36-ball fifty, but the lack of support from the middle order derailed the chase.
Venkatesh Iyer’s slow knock especially stood out in a run chase that demanded urgency from ball one. Despite the faith shown in him by the KKR management, Iyer has failed to provide the consistency or explosiveness expected of a player in his price bracket.
