IND vs SA ODI: Venkatesh Iyer takes special bowling sessions to prepare for South African challenge, says ‘Not competing with Hardik Pandya’ – Venkatesh Iyer has grown in stature over the past few months after impressive performances in the IPL, and the domestic circuit. Those performances have been rewarded with Iyer being named in India’s ODI squad for the series against South Africa later this month. The Kolkata Knight Riders star is being viewed as a potential replacement for all-rounder Hardik Pandya, but the player has dismissed those comparisons ahead of the tour. Follow Insidesport.in for all IND vs SA LIVE Updates.
IND vs SA ODI: Venkatesh Iyer takes special bowling sessions to prepare for South African challenge, says ‘Not competing with Hardik Pandya’
Venkatesh Iyer is elated after being named in the squad for the South Africa ODIs and has been putting in the hard yards in training to ace the challenge. Iyer, who scored 370 runs in just 10 IPL 2021 games, said that he is looking forward to the experience and wants to assess the conditions by speaking to former captain Virat Kohli.
In an interview with Times of India, Venkatesh Iyer said, “We have players in our team who have played a lot of cricket in South Africa, be it Tests or limited overs. I want to discuss the conditions and experience (of playing in SA) with Virat bhai. What the conditions are like, how the pitches behave, and of course his personal experience. It will help me acclimatise to the conditions quickly. I am looking forward to learning from all the players in the team.”
Iyer added, “KL (Rahul) is a good leader. I won my debut series (vs New Zealand) under Rohit bhai. I am really excited to play under KL. He is a different kind of captain and I look forward to learning a lot on this tour. I am sure KL will take us to a series win.”
IND vs SA ODI: Venkatesh Iyer takes special bowling sessions to prepare for South African challenge, says ‘Not competing with Hardik Pandya’
Venkatesh Iyer lit up the Vijay Hazare Trophy scoring 379 runs in 6 matches at an average of 63.17, including two centuries and one fifty. He managed the fifth-highest wickets tally in the tournament which earned him a call up as one of the all-rounders along with Washington Sundar. The KKR star said that while the role is a tough ask, it is a privilege to perform for the country.
Iyer is viewed as the solution to India’s all-round problems with a clear lack of pace bowling all-rounders in the set-up. First choice Hardik Pandya has been troubled with injuries over the last two years and has struggled for form as well. When quizzed whether he sees Pandya as competition, Venkatesh Iyer played down the rivalry and said that he is focused on making the most of his opportunity.
He said, “I don’t play for (any kind of) competition (with other players), I play for my team. I am playing because I have got the opportunity from the selectors and my captain. When I go out in the middle to bat, I just focus on batting and try to put as many runs (on the board as possible) for my team. When my captain gives me the ball, I think as a bowler and try to control the flow of runs and take wickets”.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star added, “I am an all-rounder and have to think like an all-rounder, not a batsman or a bowler. It’s a dual responsibility. If I think about what is going on off the field or outside the ground, I won’t be able to focus on my game. I just want to see my team win matches and I want to do the job for my team.”
India, who are currently playing a Test series in South Africa, are scheduled to lock horns in a three-ODI series against the Proteas, starting January 19 at Boland Park in Paarl. The second ODI will be played on January 21 at the same venue and the third and final ODI will take place at Newlands in Cape Town.
IND vs SA ODI: Venkatesh Iyer takes special bowling sessions to prepare for South African challenge, says ‘Not competing with Hardik Pandya’
