Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has said that all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer should be considered only for T20I format. Gambhir feels that the all-rounder is not yet ready for ODI cricket. Iyer had a poor outing in his maiden ODI series, scoring just 24 runs in his first two matches. He scored 2 & 22 in the first two ODIs at the Boland Park, Paarl. He was later dropped for the final ODI against South Africa in Cape Town. Iyer came into the limelight after an outstanding season with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 followed by consistent performances in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021.
Seen as the replacement for star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is recovering from his back injury, the left-handed batter got his opportunities in the T20I series against New Zealand at home but he failed to make an impact with the bat. The southpaw scored only 36 runs in three innings.
Gambhir also said that the young all-rounder lacks maturity for the 50-over format and selectors should only consider him in the shortest format. He also added that Iyer should be sent back to play in the middle order for a reasonable amount of time so that he gets used to the position. Iyer had opened the batting in the IPL.
“I feel he should only be considered for T20 cricket. Because he doesn’t have that level of maturity yet. He has been given an opportunity to play international level after watching him in only 7-8 IPL matches. If you are going by IPL performances, then play him in T20 cricket. ODI is a completely different ball game and a completely different beast,” Gambhir told Star Sports.
“Iyer had opened in IPL, now he is playing in the middle order. Send him back. If you are considering him for ODI cricket then tell his IPL franchise to play him in the middle order. But I feel he should be kept for T20s only, that too only as an opener if he plays at that position in IPL,” he added.
In 32 list-A matches, the 27-year-old all-rounder has scored 1252 runs at average of 48. He has four hundreds and four half centuries to his name. His highest score is 198. As far his bowling statistics are concerned, he has picked 19 wickets at an average of 32.
Iyer finished the 2021 edition of IPL with 370 runs in 10 innings. He helped his franchise to make an emphatic comeback in the second phase to reach the final of the tournament. He hit four half centuries and had a highest score of 67 in the tournament. His ability to bowl medium pace and score runs helped him get fast-tracked into the Indian setup.
