IND vs NZ 2nd T20I: Piyush Chawla wants Indian youngster to not waste 'golden opportunity'

Former Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla took to his official Koo account on Friday and provided some important suggestions to Indian youngster Venkatesh Iyer. Iyer made his international debut for India, during the 1st T20I at Jaipur in the ongoing India vs New Zealand three-match T20I series. Iyer was earlier included in the Indian squad, after his stellar performance with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) during his debut Indian Premier League(IPL) season 2021. In the absence of allrounders like Hardik Pandya and others, Iyer stands the perfect opportunity to become a mainstay for the Men In Blue, by performing both with bat and ball.

Meanwhile, in his Koo post, Chawla said that Venkatesh Iyer has the opportunity to prove himself. The ex-Indian cricketer further said that Iyer didn’t get the chance to showcase all-round skills during the first T20I, however, he should let the golden opportunity of proving his mettle in the second ODI, slip off his hands. Chawla concluded his post by saying Iyer can become a big change for the Indian team if he grabs the opportunity presented to him in the second T20I.

How did Venkatesh Iyer perform in his debut match?

Making his debut for India in the first T20I, Iyer didn’t bowl a single over of the match as skipper Rohit Sharma didn’t feel the need for a sixth bowler. However, Iyer came out to bat for India in no. 5 after the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav, who struck a match-winning knock of 62 runs during the match. Facing his first ball in international cricket, Iyer hit a boundary off the very first ball and scored his first international runs. However, his joy was short-lived as he attempted a creative short and ended up being caught at the short-third man. However, courtesy of his boundary, he brought India closer to the win as Rishabh Pant score the winning runs for the team. 

How was Venkatesh Iyer's debut season during IPL 2021?

Iyer now gets ready to play in the second T20I against the Kiwis, and he will be hoping to find his rhythm and play one of the enthralling knocks which helped him to make it into Team India. During the IPL 2021, Iyer scored a total of 370 runs for KKR in 10 matches, after making his debut in the second leg of IPL 2021 in UAE. Showcasing his all-round skills, the youngster also managed to grab three wickets in the limited amount of overs that he bowled.

Image: @indiancricketteam/ Piyush Chawla