Venkatesh Iyer was the find of the season for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. His batting performance in the second phase of the IPL earned KKR a spot in the final of the tournament. Many cricket experts were in awe of his performance and said that Iyer can be an asset to the team. Former Australian captain and current Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting has praised the southpaw for his batting skills. Ponting said that he saw the 26-year-old in the nets and asked KKR coach Brendon McCullum why he is not playing in the team during the first phase of the IPL 2021.
“I spoke to Brendon McCullum”
“Venkatesh Iyer opened for Kolkata at the back half of the season – he’s a real talent. He didn’t play the first half and ended up bowling some overs as well. He’s an all-rounder. I spoke to Brendon McCullum actually in the first part of the tournament. I saw him batting in the nets with us (Delhi Capitals) one day and I said to Brendon “Who is this kid? He’s not playing?’ He said ‘No, can’t get him in at the moment’ and whatever else,” said Ponting on The Grade Cricketer Podcast.
KKR find of the season
The 26-year-old player was one of the main reasons KKR reached the final of IPL 2021. With his sensational batting performances, Venkatesh helped the Eoin Morgan-led side make a comeback in the second phase. He scored 370 runs in 10 matches with an average of 41.11 and a strike rate of 128.47. Venkatesh scored four half-centuries and his highest score was 67 runs. The IPL performances followed by a good run in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2021 earned him a spot in India's T20I side against New Zealand.
