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.