Venkatesh Iyer perishes cheaply again while trying to take on Axar Patel in DC vs KKR IPL 2025 match [Watch]

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Venkatesh Iyer fell for 7 after top-edging a ball from Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Axar Patel in the IPL 2025 match on Tuesday, April 29. Vipraj Nigam claimed the skier of a catch as DC clawed their way back at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The dismissal continued Iyer's dismal run of form in the tournament. The southpaw has made one 50+ score in IPL 2025 and has fallen for a single-digit score on four occasions so far.

Watch the video of his dismissal here.

Iyer was brought by KKR for ₹ 23.75 crore at the mega auction in November 2024. He has made 142 runs in seven outings this season.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh take KKR to final score

Earlier, Delhi Capitals (DC) Axar Patel won the toss and elected to field first in his side's second consecutive home match. The decision was vindicated by Mitchell Starc, who removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 26.

Sunil Narine and Ajinkya Rahane put on 27 runs for the second wicket before both batters fell in the space of four balls to leave KKR precariously placed at 91/3 in the eighth over.

The dismissal of Venkatesh Iyer left the innings in further disarray and the call for a desperate need of a partnership was answered by Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh. The duo put on 61 runs for the fifth wicket to restore some momentum for the defending champions in a must-win clash.

Raghuvanshi felt that it was a good pitch to bat on, with not too much spin on offer for the slower bowlers. He said at the mid-innings break (via ESPN Cricinfo):

"Just about par. Very good wicket to bat. We have to bowl well. Our bowlers are good, so we will pull it off. Not much grip on the surface. Hopefully, our spinners can extract something.

"Two of our spinners are world-class. That will hopefully give Anukul the confidence. Never batted at No. 4 in my life, just figuring it out. Having fun and trying to win games for my time. [Those sixes] They were instinctive, didn't plan for them,"

A sensational last over from Mitchell Starc, in which he claimed three wickets, helped DC restrict KKR to 204/9 after their 20 overs.