Xtra Time Web Desk : Kolkata Knight Riders’ swashbuckling all rounder Venkatesh Iyer on Thursday opened up on his cricketing journey so far which saw his meteoric rise in the Indian cricket circuit, courtesy of his brilliant performance in the second half of last year’s Indian Premier League.
On being asked about how he felt about being retained by his franchise, Iyer in an interview with the Times of India said, “It feels great to be retained. I was so happy. I am really thankful to KKR for showing faith in me. I am really happy that I am retained. The only thing going on in my mind is how to take KKR to a title win this time. I want KKR to lift the winning trophy this time. Shreyas and I always talk in the dressing room and during practice sessions “yaar…iss baar IPL jeetna hai,”
Talking about his journey to make his Team India debut, the southpaw said, “It has been filled with a lot of learning. I got a new role in the middle order and trust me I really enjoyed it. More than that, I enjoyed fielding for the team and bowling too. Though I didn’t bowl a lot of overs, whatever overs I bowled, I really enjoyed it. I am someone who is always ready for a challenge. And when the opportunity comes, I grab it with both hands. It’s been a wonderful journey so far. I learned a lot from Virat bhai and Rohit bhai and all my seniors,’
The 27 year old, who broke into the Indian team as a replacement of Hardik Pandya has been solid with both the bat and the ball since his inception into the squad, which has led him to be one of the mainstays of the team.
Opening up about being groomed as Team India’s number 6, as previously said by skipper Rohit Sharma, Venkatesh added, “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. There are not just a couple of players ready to replace you, there are hundreds in numbers, waiting.”