Iyer was one of the chief architects of KKR’s turnaround in IPL 2021, smashing 370 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 128.47, having made his debut in the UAE leg. The Kolkata franchise were languishing in the bottom half of the points after the first leg, but a stunning revival culminated in them ending up as runners-up.
In an interaction on chat show Backstage with Boria, the batting all-rounder revealed that having a good Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign brought him some limelight. He, however, admitted that it was a nerve-wracking auction for him. The 27-year-old said:
Iyer scored 227 runs in five games for Madhya Pradesh at a strike rate of 149.34 during the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The left-handed batter praised the Kolkata franchise for making him feel part of the setup even though he did not play any matches in the first half. He elaborated:
KKR won only two of their seven matches in the first half of IPL 2021 held in India before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 cases.
“It was the team that made me do it” - Venkatesh Iyer on KKR heroics
While Iyer won plenty of plaudits for his success with the bat during IPL 2021, the 27-year-old himself credited the franchise for his success. He said:
Iyer termed the unplanned IPL break due to COVID-19 as a blessing in disguise for the franchise and added:
KKR went down to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2021 final. Chasing 193, they lost by 27 runs despite fifties from Iyer and Shubman Gill.
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