IPL 2021: Who is KKR batsman Venkatesh Iyer?
21 Sep 2021: IPL 2021: Who is KKR batsman Venkatesh Iyer?
Left-handed batsman Venkatesh Iyer made his debut for Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday. He smashed an unbeaten 41 as the Knight Riders chased down 93 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 31st match of the IPL 2021. Iyer impressed with his flashy drives against the RCB seamers. He even played Wanindu Hasaranga with ease. Let us have a look at his journey so far.
Start: Iyer made his T20 debut in 2015
Iyer operates as an all-rounder for Madhya Pradesh in the domestic circuit. He bats at the top and bowls medium pace. He made his T20 debut in March 2015 in a match against Railways. Iyer was later selected for the List A team. The left-handed batter made his First-class debut three years later. He played the Ranji Trophy Group B game against Hyderabad.
Numbers: A look at his numbers in domestic cricket
Iyer has smashed 765 runs from 39 T20 games at a remarkable average of 38.25. He also has 21 wickets to his name at 25.76 with the best bowling figures of 2/10. Iyer has racked up 849 runs in List A cricket 47.16. The tally includes two tons and three fifties. The 26-year-old owns 545 runs at 36.33 in First-class cricket.
Performance: Most runs for MP in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21
Iyer grabbed eyeballs in the truncated 2020/21 season. He was the leading run-scorer for MP in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, having scored 227 runs at an average of 75.66 and a strike-rate of 149.34. In the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, he struck a swashbuckling 198 off 146 balls against Punjab. As a result, Punjab racked up a mammoth 402/3 in the match.
IPL: KKR bought Iyer for Rs. 20 lakh
Iyer was bought by the KKR earlier this year for his base price Rs. 20 lakh. He warmed the bench in the tournament's first half that was held in India. The left-handed batsman opened in the very first game of the second phase. And, he justified his selection with a 27-ball 41*. His knock was laced with 7 fours and 1 six.
Utility: Iyer's aggressive approach could be useful of KKR
The inclusion of Iyer bolsters the KKR batting order to a great extent. His aggressive approach also relieves the pressure from Shubman Gill at the top. Besides, Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi can be utilized by the KKR in the middle. Furthermore, Iyer could also chip in as a seam bowler on the sluggish tracks. His variations could deceive the batters.
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