Anil Kumble Urges Struggling KKR to Promote Venkatesh Iyer Up the Order

Anil Kumble Urges Struggling KKR to Promote Venkatesh Iyer Up the Order

Former India captain Anil Kumble has called on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to reshuffle their batting order and promote Venkatesh Iyer to the top, as the defending IPL champions face a tough road ahead in IPL 2025.

With just seven points from nine games and a washed-out fixture against Punjab Kings denying them a full two points, KKR find themselves in must-win territory if they are to keep their playoff hopes alive. Kumble, speaking on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out show, suggested that KKR’s struggles stem from their inability to settle on a consistent playing XI.

“They still haven’t figured out the perfect XI,” Kumble said. “They’ve used 18 players already. Chetan Sakariya and Rovman Powell made their debuts for KKR this season in the game that was washed out. With so many changes, it's hard to build rhythm.”

Despite minimal personnel changes from their title-winning 2024 campaign, KKR’s performances have been below par. Kumble pointed out that the core remains strong, with big names like Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, and Ajinkya Rahane in the mix, but believes that underperformance has been the real issue.

However, the primary concern, according to Kumble, is their underwhelming batting. He singled out Venkatesh Iyer as a player who could reignite KKR’s top order if used in his most effective role — as an opener.

“[Venkatesh] needs that pace on the ball,” Kumble said. “The powerplay is where he can play his natural game, hit over the top. He’s done it in the past — that’s how he helped get KKR into the playoffs in Dubai. They missed an opportunity in this game to open with him and Sunil Narine.”

This season, Iyer has mostly batted at No. 4 or 5, managing just 135 runs in six innings, with one notable knock of 60 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In contrast, during KKR's 2024 title run, Iyer’s explosive powerplay strike rate of 220 was a key weapon.

Kumble also suggested team balance could be improved by including Indian wicketkeeper Luvnith Sisodia and bringing back pace spearhead Anrich Nortje in place of Chetan Sakariya.

KKR’s bowling, meanwhile, has been relatively solid, with pacers Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora among the wickets. But as Arora acknowledged after Saturday’s washout, the batting unit needs to step up.

“We’re bowling alright, but we're lacking with the bat,” Arora said. “We need to win the remaining games and hope we can qualify.”

KKR’s final stretch includes five tough fixtures — starting with Delhi Capitals (away) on Tuesday, followed by home games against Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, and then away matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

With the playoff race tightening, bold decisions — like the one Kumble suggests — may be what KKR need to turn their campaign around.

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