'Venkatesh Iyer is Indian version of Chris Gayle' - Twitter reacts as Venkatesh Iyer scores first ton for KKR in almost 15 years
Venkatesh Iyer became the second KKR player to smash a century in IPL history. Brendon McCullum registered the first one in 2008.
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Flamboyant batter Venkatesh Iyer was massively criticised for having a rough time in IPL 2022. Many questioned Kolkata Knight Riders’ motive behind retaining him ahead of Shubman Gill, and most importantly, the all-rounder was never considered for the Indian team again. However, in the new season, Iyer is back at his very best, hitting a blistering century against Mumbai Indians at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Notably, the Southpaw hurt his knee at one point and was in excruciating pain. However, he took a painkiller and continued to bat and eventually smashed his maiden century in the history of the tournament. The Mumbai bowlers looked clueless as the Indore-born cricketer registered his century in just 49 deliveries.
The 28-year-old hit nine sixes and six boundaries in the process and played a crucial role for the two-time champions. In the initial overs, when others struggled to get going, Iyer took the responsibility to deliver. Opener Narayan Jagadeesan failed to open his tally, while Afghanistan stumper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz managed to score only eight runs off 12 deliveries.
Nitish Rana, who was in brilliant form in the last game, lost his wicket to Hrithik Shokeen, and things were not looking good for the Knight Riders. However, Iyer maintained his calm on a sunny day and managed to give KKR a good start in Mumbai, where they don’t hold a good record.
On the other hand, Shardul Thakur was surprisingly promoted in the order ahead of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell. He was close to getting out on the first ball he faced, but unfortunately, keeper Ishan Kishan failed to collect the ball as Thakur was way ahead of his crease. Eventually, he failed to get going as he managed to score only 13 runs off 11 deliveries.
Nevertheless, Venkatesh Iyer continued his destruction and gave KKR a perfect stage to register a par total on board. His form will definitely boost his confidence, as KKR will be eager to register their third win in the ongoing season.
Here's how Twitter reacted:
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