Kolkata Knight Riders might have lost out the IPL 2021 Final on Friday night against Chennai Super Kings but a look at the larger picture reveals the debut of Venkatesh Iyer gave them a star for the years to come.
At least that's what team's coach Brandon McCullum feels as he credited the young all-rounder for playing a big role in KKR's turnaround into the final after languishing in the bottom half of the table in the first phase of the tournament.
"The 'Venkatesh Iyer Game Plan' which is an aggressive intent. He is a big presence, a tall man, plays the game with a kind of a cavalier streak. It is so important to hold on to that because he might be challenged to change his methods,"McCullum said at the post-match press conference."
"He might not be the most consistent with his flamboyance but I hope he remains the Venkatesh Iyer we have seen so far. He has got a big future in this game and he is a very intelligent man. I thank him for all his efforts he was a big catalyst for our turnaround this season."
McCullum revealed that the southpaw batter, who amassed 370 runs in 10 innings including a fifty in the final, had to wait long for his debut as he was supposed to start in the first phase of IPL before it was called podd due to COVID-19 outbreak inside the bio-secure bubble.
"Venkatesh Iyer has been an incredible story. He was actually going to play in the next game after what turned out to be our last game in India but the break came at the right time there in a funny way. It gave him the opportunity to get a couple of months of cricket under his belt," McCullum said.
