Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has joined Lancashire County Cricket Club for the next five weeks. Known for his standout performance with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2024 title win, he will participate in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup and the final two rounds of the Vitality County Championship in late August.

Lancashire County Cricket Club confirmed his signing in a statement on Friday. Venkatesh, the energetic Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, is excited about this chance and aims to make a strong comeback to the Indian national team.

Venkatesh’s excitement about county cricket debut

“I am incredibly excited about heading over to England and to have the opportunity to play county cricket for the first time in my career. Lancashire is a very historic county with a long history of welcoming Indian players to their club. I am looking forward to emulating the likes of Farokh Engineer, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and most recently, Washington Sundar in wearing the Red Rose colours at Emirates Old Trafford,” Venkatesh stated.

“To test my skills in both one-day and first-class cricket in English conditions is going to really benefit my game. I hope that I can entertain the fans and help my Lancashire teammates to achieve their targets in both formats this summer.”, He added.

Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance, is thrilled about the new addition. “Venkatesh will add experience to a young side during the One-Day Cup, whilst providing an explosive batting option in the middle-order and another seam bowler that we can turn to with the ball,” Chilton said. He confirmed that Venkatesh will play in the County games against Surrey and Hampshire.

Venkatesh’s plans to return for Duleep Trophy

Media reports suggest that Venkatesh has not agreed to a long term contract, as he wants to return to India in time for the Duleep Trophy, which starts on September 5. He plans to use this domestic tournament to re enter the Indian national team setup.

The four squads for the Duleep Trophy will be chosen after India’s tour to Zimbabwe. Venkatesh’s performances for Lancashire will be closely watched by selectors as they finalize the teams for this prestigious domestic competition.

In a dominant display of cricket, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a resounding eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a one-sided final on Sunday. The victory was marked by a clinical performance from KKR’s bowlers and an equally impressive chase by their batsmen.

Having lost the toss, KKR were put into the field by SRH, who opted to bat first. The decision backfired spectacularly as SRH’s batting lineup crumbled under the pressure of the final. SRH managed to post only 113 runs, which became the lowest-ever total in an IPL final.

KKR’s bowlers dominate as SRH crumble to lowest-ever IPL final total

The innings started disastrously for SRH. They lost their first wicket in the very first over when Abhishek Sharma was bowled by Mitchell Starc. Starc delivered a peach of a delivery that opened up the left-hander before hitting the top of the off stump. This early breakthrough set the tone for KKR’s bowling dominance.

SRH’s woes deepened when Travis Head was dismissed for a first-ball duck, caught behind off a beautiful outswinger. With just six runs on the board, SRH were reeling at 6/2. Starc continued his impressive spell, taking the wicket of Rahul Tripathi, who could only manage 9 runs before being caught behind. At this point, SRH were struggling at 21/3 in the fifth over.

Harshit Rana, coming in as the first change bowler, maintained the pressure by dismissing Nitish Reddy for 13. Andre Russell then joined the party, claiming the crucial wicket of SRH captain Aiden Markram, who was out for 20. This left SRH tottering at 62/5 in the 11th over.

The middle and lower order of SRH offered little resistance. Shahbaz Nadeem was dismissed for 8 by Varun Chakravarthy, while Abdul Samad could only score 4 before falling to Russell. SRH’s innings continued to collapse as Harshit Rana returned to take the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 16. Jaydev Unadkat was trapped LBW by Sunil Narine for 4, and Pat Cummins was the last man out, leaving SRH all out for a paltry 113.

Venkatesh Iyer’s blistering knock seals emphatic victory for Kolkata Knight Riders

In response, KKR started their chase confidently. Sunil Narine, opening the innings, hit a six off the very first over bowled by Pat Cummins but was soon dismissed for 6. However, Venkatesh Iyer, in a scintillating form, took charge of the chase. He punished Bhuvneshwar Kumar, scoring 20 runs in an over, showcasing his aggressive intent.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz supported Iyer well, contributing a brisk 39 before being dismissed by Shahbaz Nadeem. By then, KKR were already in a commanding position. Iyer continued his assault on the SRH bowlers, completing his fifty off just 24 balls.

With Iyer remaining unbeaten on 52 off 26 balls, KKR comfortably chased down the target of 114 with 57 balls to spare, sealing an emphatic eight-wicket win. This victory marked a historic moment for KKR as they lifted their third IPL trophy, adding to their previous titles and solidifying their status as one of the premier franchises in the league.

See Also: IPL 2024 final: KKR win their third title, beat SRH by 8 wickets

The match highlighted KKR’s strength in both bowling and batting. Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell, and Harshit Rana were the standout performers with the ball, while Venkatesh Iyer’s explosive innings ensured a smooth chase. SRH, on the other hand, failed to rise to the occasion, struggling both with the bat and the ball in a match that they will look back on with disappointment.

In a decisive victory, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured their place in the final of IPL 2024 with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. KKR’s path to the final was paved by a brilliant performance from their bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc, who dismantled SRH’s top order early in the innings.

Mitchell Starc’s powerplay dominance sets up KKR’s victory

Winning the toss, SRH opted to bat first but found themselves in immediate trouble as Mitchell Starc struck thrice during the powerplay. Travis Head was bowled out for a duck, followed by Abhishek Sharma who was dismissed for just 3 runs. Nitish Reddy, who managed only 9 runs, and Shahbaz Nadeem, who followed him out on the very next delivery, left SRH reeling at 45/4 after six overs.

Despite the early setbacks, Rahul Tripathi stood tall with a resilient knock, scoring 55 off 35 balls. He found some support in Heinrich Klaasen, who contributed 32 off 21 balls. Their 62-run partnership was a rare bright spot in SRH’s innings. However, once Klaasen was dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy, and Tripathi was run out, SRH’s innings quickly unraveled. The lower order couldn’t offer much resistance as Sunil Narine claimed two crucial wickets, including Sanveer Singh for a duck and Abdul Samad for 16. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also fell for a duck, leaving SRH all out for 159.

Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer lead KKR to IPL 2024 final

Chasing a target of 160, KKR started their innings with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine. Gurbaz scored a quick 23 before being dismissed by T. Natarajan, with KKR reaching their 50 in just the fifth over. Narine, who scored 21, was next to fall to Pat Cummins, but by then, KKR was already in a strong position.

The chase was masterfully anchored by Venkatesh Iyer and captain Shreyas Iyer. Venkatesh Iyer scored an unbeaten 51 off 28 balls, while Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a commanding 58 not out off 23 balls. Their unbroken partnership ensured KKR reached the target comfortably in just 13.4 overs, sealing the victory by eight wickets and booking their fourth appearance in an IPL final.

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Sunrisers Hyderabad, though disappointed, will have another shot at making the final when they face the winner of the Eliminator in Chennai on Friday. For now, KKR can celebrate their dominant performance and prepare for the title clash.

In their second IPL 2024 match on Friday, Kolkata Knight Riders worked together to win by seven wickets against Royal Challengers Bangalore. They were chasing a target of 183 runs. The team got off to a good start thanks to Sunil Narine, who scored 47 runs off 22 balls. Then, Venkatesh Iyer scored 50 runs off 30 balls, and Shreyas Iyer remained not out with 39 runs off 24 balls. KKR reached 186/3 in 16.5 overs, securing their victory.

Venkatesh praises Shreyas and said…

“I think the wicket got better. Credit to you, you chose to bowl first. That was a very good decision. Important toss for us to win. You saw out there, it got better to bat. It was important for us to understand that the ball bowled at a slower pace was not coming on to the bat as nicely. So I think that was very important for us. Credit to Sunny for what he did in the second innings.”

Even though Virat Kohli played well and scored 83 runs off 59 balls for RCB, their total score was 182/6. It seemed like a tough target, but Narine’s quick start for KKR made it seem much easier.

Narine’s strong beginning put KKR in control, making it simpler for Venkatesh and Shreyas to finish the game with 19 balls to spare.

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He also added, “It was important for me to carry on the momentum. We have all spoken about taking the momentum through and if we do get a platform, then banking on it. That’s what Sunny did, he gave us an amazing start and all I had to do was just go and capitalise on that. When you came in, I think the communication among us was amazing. You know which bowler to take on, which end to look for shots and I think that really helped us.”

Shreyas reveals their planning of batting by saying…

“To be honest when we were communicating in between, the wicket was two-paced and from one end it was coming great onto the bat and from the other end, it was stopping a bit, getting some extra nip with the slower one. So, that’s what basically I realised that this is the way we have to play and one end we have to target the bowlers and from the other, we need to atleast get ball-to-ball runs. That was the communication which we had and that was the mindset to finish off the game.” 

On March 29, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kolkata emerged victorious in their eagerly awaited encounter against Bengaluru, clinching a 7-wicket win. Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, and Venkatesh Iyer showcased exemplary batting skills, leading Kolkata to their sixth consecutive triumph at the M Chinnaswamy stadium since their maiden win in 2016.

Despite Virat Kohli’s impressive unbeaten 83-run innings, Bengaluru’s efforts fell short as Kolkata chased down the target of 183 runs in just the 17th over. The clash, much anticipated by the home crowd, turned into a disappointment as Kolkata became the first away team to secure a win in the IPL 2024 season. Despite notable performances by Kohli and Cameron Green, Bengaluru couldn’t prevent Kolkata from claiming their second victory of the season, thanks to their outstanding batting display.

Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer rule the ground  

Venkatesh Iyer, scoring 50 runs off 30 deliveries, and skipper Shreyas Iyer, contributing 39 runs off 24 balls, played crucial roles in KKR’s victory, allowing them to achieve the target with 19 balls to spare, marking their second win in three games. Following their triumph, Kolkata Captain Shreyas Iyer emphasized how the break before the Bengaluru clash proved beneficial for the team’s preparation. He also commended Andre Russell for his impressive performance.

He said, “Coming here, getting those two sessions of practice, we were in a good shape from the previous game. Coming and hitting few balls, it felt comfortable from within. The way Russell came in and realised the wicket wasn’t giving much from bowlers, and went to slower ones, analysing the conditions on the spot was pleasing to the eye. The communication was brilliant.”

Sunil Narine continues to shine

KKR began the match with a strong start, with the opening pair of Philip Salt, scoring 30 runs off 20 balls, and Sunil Narine, contributing 47 runs off 22 balls, forging an impressive partnership of 86 runs in just 6.3 overs. Notably, Sunil Narine, in his landmark 500th T20 game, was honored with the Player of the Match award for his outstanding all-round display.

See Also: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 7 wickets; Points Table updated

Shreyas added for him, “See when Narine comes in to open, he knows he has one job which is to clear the infield. Today we were contemplating whether to start with him or not but he did a brilliant job.” 

Following their victory, Kolkata climbed to the second position in the IPL 2024 points table, while Bengaluru stayed put in sixth place. This win helped Kolkata improve their standing in the tournament, while Bengaluru maintained their position in the rankings.

Two times IPL title winning team Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to play under the new mentor Gautam Gambhir in the 2024 IPL season. The former KKR captain has returned to his previous franchise after leaving his position at the Lucknow Super Giants, which Justin Langer has taken.

However, Gautam Gambhir’s presence is expected to turn the table for the KKR side which has not done well in the past few seasons as well. Speaking ahead of the 2024 season, KKR all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has shared that he is excited to play under the mentorship of Gambhir as well. In an interview given on the KKR website, Iyer stated that having Gambhir on the side will be a huge plus for them as well.

“Gautam sir coming back is going to be a huge plus for KKR. I’m really looking forward to working with him. Whatever conversations I’ve had with him in the past, he has always talked about creating an impact for the team’s goals rather than personal milestones. He is an amazing leader and I’m also excited to see the combination of him and Chandu sir (Chandrakant Pandit). Both are amazing tacticians and have the experience of winning trophies,” Venkatesh Iyer said in an interaction.

“I have got a lot of confidence in my skills” – Venkatesh Iyer

Notably, the all-rounder scored a century for KKR in the last edition of the IPL but he did not have a good time in the tournament overall as well. However, Iyer said that he is looking forward to a good season this time and also role with the ball as well.

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“The domestic tournaments help build confidence in executing your best balls under pressure situations. I have got a lot of confidence in my skills and once you’re confident about your skills, then the execution part becomes easy. Whenever the captain would want me to bowl an over or two, I’ll always be there. Shreyas has always had that confidence in me and he trusts that I can get the job done for the team in pressure situations,” Venkatesh Iyer again said.

However, Iyer scored one century and four fifties in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy. He also hit his century against Puducherry and his fifties against Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as well. Iyer also picked 8 wickets in the tournament as well.

IPL 2024 Auction: KKR buy 10 players

However, KKR bought a total of 10 players in the IPL auction. The team gave the most money in the tournament’s history to Mitchell Starc. (Rs 24.75 crore). Other players are:

KS Bharat (Rs. 50 lakh), Chetan Sakariya (Rs. 50 lakh), Mitchell Starc (Rs. 24.75 crore), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Rs. 20 lakh), Ramandeep Singh (Rs. 20 lakh), Sherfane Rutherford (Rs. 1.5 crore), Manish Pandey (Rs. 50 lakh), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Rs. 2 crore), Gus Atkinson (Rs. 1 crore), Sakib Hussain (Rs. 20 lakh).

IPL 2022: Before the IPL Auctions, many players went about their business retaining core players, hoping that they would help take the team forward. While some players like Glenn Maxwell are doing a wonderful job, there are others struggling to find a spot in the side due to their below par performances. There are also stars like Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who were retained at maximum price, but struggling to make an impact. Below though, are a few players who were retained but not able to break into the eleven.

Moeen Ali

Last season, Moeen Ali helped CSK bring intent into their game. He came in at number 3, displacing CSK legend Suresh Raina, and eased his way to quick 30s and 40s, helping Chennai win the title. His bowling was also pretty handy and his performance last year led to him being retained for IPL 2022. This season though, Ali hasn’t been able to find his rhythm. He came in late due to visa issues, and found his touch in the first game itself, but struggled to build on. After a few low scores and a niggle, Moeen Ali now finds himself on the bench.

He is almost back to fitness, but with Ali struggling to find his normal touch, he may find it tough to break into the eleven especially after seeing Devon Conway’s recent form.

Anrich Nortje

Anrich Nortje’s lead-up to IPL 2022 was rather unfortunate, leading to him struggling to find a place in the side. He was retained over Rabada for his sheer pace and wicket-taking skills, but suffered with a hip injury early in the year, leading him to miss quiet a bit of cricket. His comeback from injury started with the IPL, but one game in, Anrich Nortje struggled to find his pace and radar, and another niggle led to him missing out on games later on, leaving him on the bench in IPL 2022.

Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy had a dream IPL 2020 and did well in 2021, forming a deadly combo with Sunil Narine. His exploits led to his retention, but this season Chakravarthy has struggled to pick up wickets. His bowling is lacking the mystery it possessed last season and with just four wickets in eight games, Chakravarthy finds himself on the bench, taking a break until he finds his touch again.

See Also: Rinku Singh: KKR’s Understated Star in IPL 2022 – Cricket Winner

Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer was the success story of IPL 2021. He came in during the second half, and immediately changed the Kolkata Knight Riders fortunes, taking them to the finals. His rise was brilliant, and his style of play makes in an asset to any side. As a batter, Iyer has the ability to bat well at the top and can also finish the innings as he did for India over the last year. He is a useful bowler as well.

Through IPL 2022, Venkatesh Iyer has struggled to get going. He isn’t batting with his usual freedom and has been moved around the order a lot as well in a bid to help him find form. After struggling, Venkatesh Iyer has finally been given a break, but is expected to be back soon and hopefully get a longer run at the top of the order.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

The young star was retained after playing a few handy knocks for Rajasthan Royals last season. He is seen as a core member in a side that is known to build young talent, but with runs not coming his way, Jaiswal again finds himself on the bench. Three games in, the young batter has 25 runs and is now waiting for an opportunity which may not come easy considering the form Devdutt Padikkal is in during IPL 2022.

Abdul Samad

The big-hitter from Jammu played a few cameos for Sunrisers in IPL 2020 and his potential led to his retention this season. He wasn’t consistent in IPL 2021, which made his retention ahead of IPL 2022 a slight surprise, but the potential he possesses made up for his lack of runs.

The handling of Samad though has been a little puzzling. After being retained, he has only been given two games, making four runs in total. The runs haven’t come, but being a retained player, the general notion is to give a longer run to the ones that have been backed by the side to carry the team forward. With SRH doing well, it seems unlikely for him to get games going forward and he will have to impress hard if he is to make a comeback in IPL 2022.

Venkatesh Iyer made a strong start to his IPL career coming in as a surprising talent in IPL 2021. He was benched for the entire first leg and then came in at UAE, opened the batting, and was KKR’s central figure as they turned a poor series around. He turned out to be an important multi-utility player, batting aggressively at the top and bowling the occasional overs to help move the game forward, giving his captain options.

His incredible season led to him being selected for the Indian team. With the Indian team though, Venkatesh Iyer batted in the middle-order, being groomed as a finisher. His wonderful form prompted KKR to retain him, given the skillset he offers. Eight games into the second season though, Venkatesh Iyer is struggling to find touch. He has an average of 18 and a strike-rate of 102. After six games opening the batting, Venkatesh Iyer dropped down to the middle-order.

Two games in the middle order, the situation hasn’t changed much for Venkatesh Iyer. IPL is not new to seeing players come in with brilliant performances once only to disappear later. There was Paul Valthaty who had a wonderful 2011 only to struggle and later go completely of the radar.

Going by how Venkatesh Iyer has been this season, he could be having the same issue. After a strong season last year, Venkatesh Iyer is struggling to find runs. Teams may have found him out and are more prepared to face his aggressive style of batting. His ability against the short-ball was susceptible, but last season teams didn’t have too much time to work him out, and now with time on their side, it looks like other bowlers have found chinks in his armour.

Despite his struggle, Venkatesh Iyer is valuable player. He can bat anywhere from number one to six, bowl a few overs at decent pace in the 120s range, and has also picked up some key wickets in his brief IPL career.

This season though, he has been stuck. Playing with KKR, the batters are normally given a lot of clarity in their roles. As Brendon McCullum emphasizes on aggression, the batters are given the license to go out and slog from the word go. While Iyer has been trying to do that, he has looked stuck, and may be better off trying to take a few deliveries to himself, rotate strike and find his rhythm. A good innings is all that may be needed for him to turn his form back, and with six odd games to go, he may find some runs soon.

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Another concern for Venkatesh Iyer though could be the change in roles. He opened for KKR, then went into the middle-order for India, and that may have led to some confusion in his style of play. Given the role of a finisher, he may be finding it tough to understand how to approach the game. Unlike last season though, he has some wonderful batters around him with Shreyas Iyer doing well and Andre Russell in strong form.

There has been questions regarding his retention, but the utility he brings makes sense as to why KKR were tempted to retain him. He is still a valuable player and has turned a season around for KKR on his own, making him a very valuable player.

With Hardik Pandya back in form though, Venkatesh Iyer has some more pressure on him with regards to Indian selection. His form makes may make it tough for him to retain his place in the Indian side after being their finisher for the last few months, but will need some runs to continue keeping his place in the Indian team.