Venkatesh Iyer IPL profile – a 360-word snapshot of Kolkata Knight Riders’ dynamic left-handed match-winner. Across five straight seasons with KKR, Iyer has hammered 1,468 runs from 1,069 balls, translating to a boundary every fourth legal delivery and a strike rate of 137. His 136 fours and 65 sixes light up the power-play and death overs alike, while 12 fifties and one scintillating 104 underline his consistency and ceiling. With 56 knocks under his belt, the Madhya Pradesh star has crossed fifty once every 4.7 innings and converted one of those into a 55-ball hundred, the highest score of his IPL career. Iyer’s value multiplies with his ability to open or float in the order, evidenced by his seamless adaptation to Eden Gardens’ true bounce and the slower tracks of the UAE. While bowling remains a secondary suit, his part-time seam has chipped in with three wickets in nine innings, including a best of 2 for 27, showing he can break partnerships when the captain needs a surprise option. From 2021 through 2025, the all-rounder has remained a KKR constant, a testament to the franchise’s faith in his explosive batting and developing utility. Numbers tell the story: 137 strike rate, 65 maximums, 12 half-centuries and a lone but memorable century – Venkatesh Iyer is KKR’s home-grown power engine and one of IPL 2025’s must-watch entertainers.

Ajinkya Rahane IPL journey spans 17 seasons, 183 innings and a mountain of 5,032 runs that have come off 4,025 balls at a brisk strike-rate of 125. The Mumbai-born right-hander has punished bowlers for 514 fours and 123 sixes, crossing fifty 33 times and reaching three figures on two memorable occasions, the highest being an unbeaten 105. After stints with Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, he is back with Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2025. While Rahane has rolled his arm over only once in the league, picking up a solitary wicket in a six-ball cameo that cost five runs, he remains celebrated as one of the league’s most technically sound and consistent top-order batsmen.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.