Veteran India cricketer Robin Uthappa lauds Venkatesh Iyer’s impressive show with the ball in the third T20I against New Zealand. And, he said that this will give the newly-appointed T20 captain Rohit Sharma the much-needed confidence to use him in the future as well.
However, India thrashed New Zealand by 73 runs in the final T20I of the series in Kolkata on Sunday and sealed the series by 3-0 as well. Moreover, Venkatesh Iyer too got to bowl and impressed all as well. He bowled three overs for 12 runs and scalped the wicket of Adam Milne.
Speaking about Venkatesh Iyer’s performance with the ball, Uthappa said on ESPNCricinfo: “The way Venkatesh Iyer bowled will give Rohit a lot more confidence to throw the ball to him in different situations in the future. I think it was a matter of Venkatesh Iyer earning Rohit’s respect as far as his bowling was concerned. With the way he bowled today, he actually did that.”
Meanwhile, former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori also applauded him. He said, “They have to reevaluate and (find out) if Venkatesh Iyer’s bowling is good enough in a place like Australia. They started that path today by actually giving him a bowl to see what he can do. Whether his all-round prowess can fit into the team moving forward towards that World Cup (remains to be seen).”
Venkatesh Iyer didn’t do himself any favors with the way he batted – Robin Uthappa
Notably, Venkatesh Iyer has made his debut in this series where he earned the maiden call-up on the back of a stunning IPL season where he had played for KKR in the second phase of the league in the UAE. While he was asked to evaluate his overall performance, Uthappa opened up on the way he batted.
“Honestly, Venkatesh Iyer didn’t do himself any favors with the way he batted in the series. Possibly, he could have been a bit more circumspect in retrospect. But the fact that he bowled so well would give him a look in. You really want to put your hands up when you get an opportunity, like Deepak Chahar did today with the way he batted in those last eight balls,” Robin Uthappa concluded.
Venkatesh Iyer managed to score 4, 12*, and 20 in the three T20Is against New Zealand and will be highly disappointed with his efforts.
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