Xtra Time Web Desk: Kolkata Knight Riders’ young all rounder Venkatesh Iyer on Wednesday said he will try and repose the faith that the KKR management has bestowed upon him. The Knight Riders management have retained Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine ahead of the mega auction.
“I am really happy to be back, KKR is the franchise that gave me my big break and introduced me to the world of cricket. I am extremely grateful to KKR management for putting their faith in me. I feel at home being a part of KKR, the franchise has played a very vital role in me adorning the blues. I am looking forward to playing at Eden gardens, it’s always special to be there and to play in front of a packed crowd.” Said Iyer in an interview to KKR Media.
Ace bowler Sunil Narine has been associated with KKR since the beginning of his career, making his IPL debut in 2012, while star all-rounder Andre Russell has been a vital cog for KKR since 2014. Both the players from the Caribbean are two-time MVP winners in the IPL, and have been KKR’s consistent and top performers over the years. Varun Chakravarthy emerged as a crucial player across last two seasons of IPL with KKR and Venkatesh Iyer played an impressive role in KKR’s come-from-behind performance in the recently concluded IPL 2021.
Sharing his thoughts about being the first retained player for KKR, Andre Russell said,“Over the last eight seasons I have been a Knight Rider player and it’s amazing that they continue to show me so much love. My journey with KKR continues and I appreciate the trust, support and confidence they have shown in me across the years. I also like the direction they are going in, it’s not just IPL in India, they are spreading their wings and I am happy and excited to spread my wings with them as well. I look forward to being a part of all the franchises they have globally, which ever league they are involved in, I will be happy to wear this logo on my heart.”
According to Sunil Narine,“I am very excited, it’s the only place I want to be in IPL cricket at the moment. If KKR has a team anywhere in the world I would prefer playing for them, whether its KKR or TKR or any other franchise that they would have. It’s been 10 good years through thick and thin and KKR has been a loyal franchise and I look forward to playing at Eden gardens again next year.”
Speaking on the player retention, Mr. Venky Mysore MD & CEO, KKR, said, “We are really pleased retaining Sunil, Andre, Varun and Venkatesh, they are truly special and will form a good nucleus for us to build on for the next three seasons ahead. I want to thank the entire squad that was a part of the KKR journey during 2021, it was an amazing collective effort to create a comeback which is one of its kind in the history of IPL. We hope that it will be the foundation for better performances going ahead.”