Mumbai: Venkatesh Iyer made his T20I debut under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, put in some impressive performances and the left-hander is all praise for his leader Rohit and Rahul Dravid. Rohit kicked off his journey as the full-time T20I skipper with a clean sweep 3-0 series win over New Zealand
One of the bright spots of the win was Iyer who bowled for the first time in his career and returned with a tidy figures of 3-0-12-1, bowling in the crucial middle overs. He wasn’t used for bowling in the first two matches but did bowl in the final match and dismissed Adam Milne to claim his maiden international cricket. He provided useful runs with the bat.
“It was a memorable series for me. Wearing an India jersey was a dream and it came true. Winning the trophy in my debut series and that too by a clean sweep was a massive thing for me. I am really happy,” Iyer was quoted as saying to Times of India.
Venkatesh was selected for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand after his impressive performances in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). He was an integral part of Kolkata Knight Riders’ in the second leg of the Indian Premier League this year, scoring 370 runs in 10 innings while opening the batting.
“During the victory and trophy celebration, Rohit bhai came and gave the trophy to me and said well done. Holding the winning trophy was an emotional and proud moment for me. I got a lot of support from my seniors, my captain Rohit bhai and coach Rahul sir. It was a special feeling for me when my captain Rohit bhai gave me the trophy and gave a lot of credit to me. He said you have done a good job, keep it up,” he said.
The grin says it all! 😊
A moment to cherish for @ivenkyiyer2512 as he makes his #TeamIndia debut. 👏 👏#INDvNZ @Paytm pic.twitter.com/2cZJWZBrXf
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 17, 2021
Iyer also thanked Rohit and the newly appointed head coach Rahul Dravid saying that Rohit and Dravid have supported him throughout the series. In fact, in the dressing room, they have clearly shown what the coach and the captain want. Such clarity has inspired young cricketers like him to surrender on the field.
“Rahul (Dravid) sir is a legend of the game and has played a lot of cricket for India. He knows how to handle youngsters. I got a lot of backing from him as well. The best part with Rohit bhai and Rahul sir in the dressing room is that the communication was absolutely clear,” the allrounder added.
“Rahul sir and Rohit bhai keep the dressing room relaxed and keep motivating every player. Rahul sir gave me complete freedom to express myself. He had confidence in my abilities.”
