Venkatesh Iyer the gamechanger delivered yet another heroic performance leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL glory after a decadelong wait. The Purple Brigade dominated the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a thrilling encounter clinching the championship with a convincing eightwicket victory at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium on a memorable Sunday May 26.
Chasing a modest goal of 114 runs, the Knight Riders got off to a flying start despite losing Sunil Narine in the second over. Venkatesh, who produced an undefeated half-century in Qualifier 1, picked up where he left off in the previous game. The left-hander attacked the opposition bowlers from the start, hitting four boundaries and three sixes to remain undefeated on 52 off 26 balls.
Venkatesh Iyer scored a rate of 200, helping KKR reach the mark in just 10.3 overs with eight wickets remaining. Skipper Shreyas Iyer stayed unblemished on the other end, scoring six runs off three balls.
Fans heaped admiration on Venkatesh Iyer for his outstanding batting performance in the knockout stages. This was his fourth half-century in five playoff games dating back to the IPL 2021. Here are some responses from X:
A few fans reckoned that retaining Venkatesh over Shubman Gill was the right decision. One fan said:
“I have so much respect for this man, The unsung hero of KKR. Retaining Venkatesh Iyer over Shubman Gill is the biggest and best decision ever made by KKR.”
“No regrets about the retention of Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer anymore. They proved their worth,” another fan chimed in.
“Venkatesh Iyer is the underrated star in kkr, stepping down against fast bowlers is not easy as it looks. He proved his potential when it matters the most,” wrote another fan.
How has Venkatesh Iyer fared in IPL 2024?
There were many skeptics when the Kolkata Knight Riders chose Venkatesh Iyer over ace batter Phil Salt. However, the Madhya Pradesh-born cricketer has now demonstrated his value when it counts the most.
Venkatesh scored 370 runs in 14 games at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.80, including four half centuries. The finest two innings came in the playoffs, when he hit an unbroken 51 in Qualifier 1 against the SunRisers and then another 52* off 26 balls.