Venkatesh Iyer got his worthy first international call for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand. 26-year-old proves his credentials IPL 2021 with both bat and ball. Notably, this was his first IPL season, but the confidence with which Iyer batted with opener Shubman Gill for Kolkata Knight Riders made everyone in the cricket fraternity talk about him. However, the MP-born cricketer has bigger ambitions and wants to contribute across formats like Ben Stokes has been doing for England.
Calling Stokes his “inspiration”, Iyer recently took to a YouTube channel to open up about his choice for the English all-rounder, who was instrumental in England’s World Cup win in 2019. Iyer termed Stokes a “huge asset” for England as he contributes equally. Batting, bowling and fielding in all formats.
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“Whatever Ben Stokes plays for England or any other team, it is very inspiring. He is a match winner in every format. He contributes equally in all three departments and he is a huge asset to the team,” Iyer told Sports Yari.
“Watching him play I think it’s something I really want to be. Contribute in every format and in every position, take wickets with the ball and be a safe slip fielder like Stokes. Which team has a player like Stokes Wouldn’t want to. I am inspired by Ben Stokes.”
Iyer has shown that he has the potential to be the quick-witted all-rounder that India currently needs as Hardik Pandya’s role in the national team is becoming increasingly obscure due to his form and injury.
Opening for KKR, Iyer scored 370 runs in just 10 matches he played during the second leg of IPL 2021 in UAE. His batting average of 41.11 and strike rate of 128.47 certainly tells a lot about the player. The 26-year-old also picked up important wickets for KKR in the league as the team eventually reached the final, but lost to Chennai Super Kings.
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The three-match T20I series against New Zealand is a big opportunity for Iyer to make it to the Indian team. The home series will start from November 17 and the matches will be played in Jaipur, Ranchi and Kolkata. Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy command Virat Kohli in the shortest format.
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