Venkatesh Iyer, the rising star of Kolkata Knight Riders, attributed his recent success to none other than former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly. Recalling his ‘fruitful conversation’ with Ganguly, Venkatesh Iyer credited the cricketing legend for imparting invaluable tips that have propelled his performance on the field.
Sourav Ganguly, cricket legend “Dada,” transitioned from elegant left-handed batsman with over 18,000 runs to leading Indian cricket as BCCI President. He’s credited with transforming the team’s mentality and now, as ICC Men’s Cricket Committee Chairman, his influence extends to the global game.
The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, Venkatesh Iyer’s s big-hitting ways in domestic tournaments earned him a shot with the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021. Venkatesh Iyer thrived, amassing over 370 runs and reaching the IPL final with KKR. This led to national call-ups, but his international performance hasn’t matched his early IPL brilliance. Venkatesh Iyer is currently the fourth-highest run scorer for KKR in IPL 2024 with two fifties, showcasing glimpses of his past form. If he can maintain this consistency, a return to the international stage could be on the horizon.
Former India Skipper’s Priceless Suggestions To Venkatesh Iyer
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Venkatesh Iyer thanked former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, who is also the Director of Cricket for Delhi Capitals, for giving him valuable advice on batting. They had a chat after the IPL match between KKR and DC last month at the Eden Gardens. Their talk proved helpful as Venkatesh Iyer was named Player of the Match in KKR’s next game against Mumbai Indians on May 3. During the post-match presentation, Venkatesh Iyer credited the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Saurav Ganguly for the tips and even mentioned what they talked about, showing gratitude for the guidance he received.
Venkatesh Iyer said to Hindustan Times,
“I’ve been a huge fan of dada (Sourav Ganguly). Went to ask him about my stance and technical aspects. Was a fruitful conversation. It’s coming through in my stance and other aspects in the nets,”
Venkatesh Iyer also added,
“As a professional cricketer, I have to be flexible in terms of situation. When I started hitting the ball well, two more wickets fell and I thought I have to play the anchor role. This is the fourth or fifth time Manish has padded up. This time he got to bat. Rather than sending Russell and Ramandeep higher, better to have Manish who can play the anchor role. Ball was holding and it was a two paced wicket. I try to be a smarter cricketer. Would’ve been easy for me to go after Piyush Chawla and the fast bowlers. Team needed me to be there till the end,” he added.
Venkatesh Iyer Against MI
During the match against MI, Venkatesh Iyer played a significant innings, scoring 70 runs from 52 balls, helping KKR reach a total of 169 runs, which they could defend. KKR was struggling at 5/57 at one stage, but Iyer, along with Manish Pandey, steadied the ship, ensuring a decent score. Iyer’s innings included six boundaries and three sixes, while Pandey contributed with 42 runs off 31 balls, playing a crucial role in KKR’s total.
During the run chase, MI didn’t begin well, losing their opening batsmen with only 46 runs on the scoreboard. Although Suryakumar Yadav tried to lead a comeback with a half-century, his efforts were futile as the five-time champions were eventually bowled out for 145 runs. KKR’s Australian fast bowler, Mitchell Starc, was impressive, taking four wickets against MI.
Also Read: IPL 2024: Aakash Chopra Reveals What He Means He Calls Venkatesh Iyer “The One Man Army”