IPL 2021: Venkatesh Iyer a big catalyst in KKR’s turnaround this season, says Brendon McCullum

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum hailed the impact that Venkatesh Iyer and the rest of the Indian batsman in their top order on their form in the second half of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). KKR went from having just two wins in seven matches to reach the final in the UAE leg of the season.

Venkatesh, opening the innings with Shubman Gill, scored 370 runs in 10 innings and even put in handy shifts with the ball, taking three wickets in the season. “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 told the media after KKR’s 27-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final on Friday.

“Then it was just a matter of bringing the game that he owns. 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.