Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) Venkatesh Iyer has been the side's star find since the resumption of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) last week. Iyer remained unbeaten on 41 off 27 deliveries in the low run-chase against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and followed it with a 30-ball 53 against Mumbai Indians (MI).
Incidentally, the KKR youngster was seen having a long chat with Virat Kohli after the side's game against RCB on September 20. The RCB captain could be seen providing batting tips to Iyer.
In the conversation, Kohli emphasised on the need to press forward while countering deliveries.
Watch the conversation:
It seems the batting tips from Virat Kohli did work for Iyer. The batsman, in both of his innings since resumption, showed that he isn't only a slogger but knows how to take calculated risks. The Madhya Pradesh batter has shown positive temparament so far.
Kolkata were off to a flier in the 156 run-chase against KKR, with Venkatesh Iyer smacking Trent Boult for a six over deep square leg. He then smacked Adam Milne for a six followed by two fours in the second over. With seven boundaries hit in less than three overs, Kolkata were on a rampage, making chances of comeback difficult for Mumbai.
Iyer, after reaching his fifty in 25 balls, saw his blitzkrieg end at 55 with his stumps disturbed by a slower delivery from Bumrah.