Venkatesh Iyer opens up on comparison with Hardik Pandya

Aspiring Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has spilt beans regarding his comparison with experienced campaigner Hardik Pandya. Iyer mentioned he is a ‘huge’ admirer of Hardik, and the comparison do not pay heed to him as a cricketer.

Iyer grabbed headlines with a stellar campaign for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the previous season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 10 matches, the southpaw scored 370 runs at an impressive average of 41.11 and a strike rate of 128.47, with four half-centuries. He also picked up three wickets in four innings.

As a result, Iyer was called up for the national side, where he debuted in the T20I series against New Zealand in November 2021. So far, the Indore-born cricketer has played nine T20I games in which he has scored 133 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 162.2 and has also taken five wickets.

Notably, Team India’s focus is on the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022, which is scheduled to be played in Australia later this year. Both Iyer and Hardik are strong contenders for filling up the all-rounder’s spot.

“As a cricketer, I have huge respect for Hardik bhai for what he has done for India. It is unbelievable. I am a huge admirer of Hardik bhai. These comparisons are very natural, but I pay no heed to them,” said Iyer in an interview with Times of India.

Not to mention, after Iyer’s recent all-round heroics, Indian captain Rohit Sharma had heaped praises, stating that he wants to groom the southpaw for No. 6 position. When asked for his thoughts on this, Iyer said he is very flexible and ready to bat at any position.

“Yes, absolutely. I am ready for any position and situation. As a professional cricketer, I have always maintained that I need to be very flexible. We have to understand that we are entering a team where there is cut-throat competition and that too for every role and for every player,” added Iyer.

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March 25, 2022 at 07:57AM