Venkatesh Iyer likely to stay on with India as Hardik Pandya's backup for T20 World Cup

Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) debutant Venkatesh Iyer is likely to be asked to stay with Team India after the conclusion of IPL 2021, as a replacement for Hardik Pandya in India’s T20 World Cup 2021 squad. As per PTI, Indian star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will play the T20 World Cup solely as a batter, with his back still not fit for bowling. With Pandya facing injury concerns, KKR’s opener and fast-bowling all-rounder will be asked to stay in the Indian bio-bubble as a cover for Pandya. 

Iyer made his IPL debut in 2021 and caught the attention of the cricketing fraternity with some quickfire knocks for KKR at the top of the innings. He played eight matches for the Knight Riders in the season and scored 265 runs at a strike rate of 123.25 and an average of 37.85 runs per game. Venkatesh Iyer also hit two half-centuries for KKR in the season. At the same time, he also successfully dismissed three batters by bringing his all-round skills into play. He was picked up by KKR in the IPL 2021 players auction, on the back of his domestic T20 strike rate of 137.64.

Pandya scored 127 runs in IPL 2021 for MI

Pandya, on the other hand, had a mediocre IPL 2021, as he played the tournament purely as a batter and scored 127 runs in 12 matches for the defending champions Mumbai Indians(MI). MI failed to defend their title this season, after failing to qualify for the IPL 2021 playoffs. He last bowled for MI in 2019 and has been seen bowling for Team India on minimum occasions. He last bowled for India during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in July this year. He has played a total of 49 T20I matches for India, since making his International debut in 2016. He has a total of 484 runs at a strike rate of 145.34 and 42 wickets to his name.

India’s full squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021-

Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami.

(Credit- Instagram/@kkrider/@indiancricketteam/BCCI)