"We prepare ourselves for good conditions of cricket": KKR vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer ahead of CSK clash

Chennai, (Tamil Naidu) [India] April 10 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer emphasized the team's adaptability ahead of their crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against Chennai Super Kings on Friday.

Despite coming off a narrow four-run defeat in their previous outing against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Iyer remained positive about the team's performance. "We played some very good cricket, even the last game. We lost only by four runs, which goes to show that it was an evenly contested game," Venkatesh Iyer said during a press conference on Thursday.

When questioned about potential advantages in the upcoming match, particularly regarding their spin attack led by Varun Chakravarthy, Iyer downplayed the notion that KKR specifically seeks favorable conditions. "We never look at what is the best condition for us. We prepare ourselves for good conditions of cricket, and that's what professional sport is about," Iyer stated. "If a team has to be a champion, then it has to understand that in all conditions, you have to have the combination that can do well."

On his personal form, Iyer emphasized his focus on mindset rather than statistics. "I am at my best when my mindset for the game is right. When my approach towards the game is right, that has nothing to do with the runs that I scored," he explained. The benchmark has always been the mindset that I carry, and I feel I am carrying a very good mindset towards the game," he added.

In KKR's last encounter, Lucknow Super Giants batters Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh's magnificent fifties outsmarted the hosts by four runs in the last-over thriller at their home, Eden Gardens, on Tuesday.

With this victory, the Super Giants team jumped to the fourth spot (six points), whereas following the loss, the Knight Riders slipped to the sixth spot (four points) in the IPL 2025 points table. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)