The left-hander managed just seven runs off five deliveries, including a boundary, before falling to Axar Patel. His attempted shot failed to get the desired elevation and was caught by Vipraj Nigam, adding another failure to a string of unconvincing performances this season
Across 10 matches and seven innings so far, Iyer has accumulated only 142 runs at a modest average of 20.28 and a strike rate of 139.21. His only notable contribution remains a solitary half-century, with a top score of 60
What makes Iyer's form particularly concerning is the high expectation that came with his massive price tag. KKR had released him ahead of the 2025 season but opted to buy him back for a staggering Rs 23.75 crore at the auction, a move that raised eyebrows and brought considerable pressure.
The contrast with his previous campaign is stark. In IPL 2024, Iyer was one of the key architects of KKR’s title-winning run, their first in a decade and third overall, scoring 370 runs in 15 matches at an outstanding average of 46.25 and a blazing strike rate of 158+. He registered four fifties, including match-defining innings in both the Qualifier 1 and the Final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Since making his IPL debut in 2021, Iyer has featured in 56 innings and amassed 1,468 runs at an average of 29.95, with a strike rate of over 137. His personal best remains a century, and his most productive season came in 2023 when he tallied 404 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.85 and a strike rate exceeding 145.
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