Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Venkatesh Iyer has earned a maiden call-up to the national side for the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand. Iyer has been rewarded for his superlative run in the recently concluded IPL 2021 and the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Iyer’s all-rounder abilities suit the bill perfectly after India struggled for an all-rounder during the ICC T20 World Cup with Hardik Pandya not fit to bowl in full rhythm. Iyer, who was in the Indian camp ahead of the global T20 competition, revealed an interaction with Virat Kohli and what the talismanic batsman told him.
“During the nets sessions, I had interactions with most of the senior players. Virat bhai said just be focused on what you are doing. He also said you are doing good and keep performing and keep working hard. He asked me to keep focusing on my game. I will remember those tips from Virat bhai forever,” Iyer said in an interview with timesofindia.com.
Venkatesh Iyer in this SMAT 2021 so far:-
•2-0-13-1 & 37(23).
•3-0-20-2 & 50*(41).
•3-0-26-0 & 31(24).
•4-2-2-2 & 36*(20).Outstanding Venkatesh Iyer.
— RCB_media (@rcb_media) November 8, 2021
Venkatesh Iyer accumulated 370 runs in the second phase of IPL 2021 at an average of 41.11. Iyer also chipped in with a few overs, picking up three wickets.
“I am really excited to play under Rohit bhai” – Venkatesh Iyer
.@ImRo45 all set to lead #TeamIndia's T20I squad against New Zealand. 👍 👍
How excited are you for the home series? #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/wGCe0gBbL2
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 9, 2021
Meanwhile, with Virat Kohli stepping down as the T20I captain, the baton has been handed to Rohit Sharma. Venkatesh Iyer said that he is already looking forward to learning from the Hitman.
“I am really excited to play under Rohit bhai. I am really looking forward to it. He is such a great player. The team looks really strong. I am sure we will perform well. It will be a huge learning experience as well and it will be exciting to play under Rohit bhai,” he concluded.
The three-match series commences on November 17, followed by games on November 19 and 21.
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