Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen believes that Kolkata Knight Riders star batter Venkatesh Iyer has got some quality strokes in his batting–and rated him as a 360-degree player. The 28-year-old scored an excellent century against the five-time champions but ended up on the losing side against Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
Speaking to Star Sports, Kevin Pietersen cited the example of England star Harry Brook, as he scored an unbeaten 100 (55) against Kolkata Knight Riders to score the first century of IPL 2023 and said that at the Wankhede wicket if a batsman can get through the initial few balls, then it can be a belter of a batting wicket.
“We saw what Harry Brook did the other evening and we have seen some incredible players who have graced the services of all the stadiums around the country. In particular, this one here at the Wankhede, if you get yourself in and you bat in the way he batted,” Kevin Pietersen said.
Pietersen was impressed by Venkatesh Iyer’s backfoot play as he hit boundaries with ease against the Indians.
“He is a tall guy; he stands on top of the bounce because of his height. I’m very impressed with the way he played off the back foot too, and he also doesn’t get bogged down by the spinners. He is a 360 kind of player,” he stated.
Venkatesh Iyer became the second KKR batter to hit a hundred in the IPL after Brendon McCullum hit the first one against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2008. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder was exceptional with the bat as the struck mounting nine sixes and six fours to score a century off just 49 balls.
Venkatesh Iyer Is Not Afraid To Play All Around The Ground – Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen recalled the memories of Venkatesh Iyer’s breakthrough year in IPL 2021, where he made his debut for the two-time champions in the UAE. Iyer also played a vital role in taking the team to finals before losing out to four-time champions Chennai Super Kings.
