Venkatesh Iyer is the latest talented product to emerge out of the Indian Premier League. The hard-hitting all-rounder did not get a single game in the first phase of IPL 2021. However, he has played all games for KKR so far in the UAE leg. Many experts believe that Venkatesh has got the skills and attitude to make it big in the game. Recently, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja explained why Venkatesh Iyer has an X-Factor just like one of the greatest players in the T20 format.
The KKR cricketer has been phenomenal so far
In five games so far, the player has scored 193 runs apart from collecting three wickets with his right-arm medium pace. One of the most impressive facets of his batting is his high strike rate of 141.91. He is also fearless, and being a left-hander, KKR has found a lot of benefits from the player.
Iyer has also proved to be a utility cricketer with decent skills as a medium-pace bowler. He has helped KKR fill in overs when some of the other bowlers were leaking runs.
Ajay Jadeja feels Venkatesh Iyer has an X-Factor just like Chris Gayle
Former cricketer Ajay Jadeja felt that Iyer is close to Gayle when it comes to bringing an X-Factor to the team. While speaking on Cricbuzz, Ajay Jadeja opined, “Venkatesh Iyer is free-flowing. We talked about Chris Gayle, not that I am comparing him with Gayle or saying that Iyer plays like him, but his mould is somewhat like Gayle.”
Continuing the analysis of the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, Ajay said, “Now he is 42, but in his younger days, Gayle had the X-factor in him. When he used to bat, it seemed that he can bat at will, no matter what the conditions or the pitch are. For other batters, you might say, ‘the track is slow, scoring might be difficult, but all that did not apply to Gayle. Venkatesh Iyer is just like that.”
Although not immediately, Venkatesh Iyer would firmly be in plans for Team India in the future. With Hardik Pandya not bowling often, Iyer could turn out to be the next option in the pace-bowling all-rounder spot.
