Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22: Venkatesh Iyer mimics Rajinikanth’s iconic ‘salute’ after his ton, pays tribute to actor on his birthday

Rajinikanth has an unprecedented fan following in South India. The Superstar is one of the most popular actors in the history of Indian Cinema, and the acting icon is celebrating his 71st birthday today.

And Venkatesh Iyer paid tribute to his ‘Thalaiva’ after scoring his century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy today. Iyer scored a blazing 151, and after his ton, he imitated his favourite actor.

Iyer was seen mimicking the trademark ‘Salute’ that Rajinikanth does in his movies as well as imitating the way in which Rajini wears his glasses.

You can see the video of the same below

Our Sunday couldn't get any better! 😍

Can you decode @ivenkyiyer2512's celebration? 🤔#VijayHazareTrophy #MPvUTCA #KKR #AmiKKR #CricketTwitterpic.twitter.com/7wpLMKEJ44

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 12, 2021

Venkatesh Iyer is a massive Rajinikanth fan

Venkatesh Iyer has admitted on numerous occasions that he is a die-hard fan of Rajinikanth, and does not miss any of the Superstar’s films. In fact, Iyer has also termed Rajinikanth as a legend. “A Thalaivar devotee. I can watch his movies ‘n’ number of times. He’s a legend,” Iyer was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Venkatesh Iyer stole the limelight in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Opening the batting for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Iyer plundered 370 runs at an average in excess of 40, and played a key role in helping the Kolkata side reach the final.

Iyer also made his debut for the Indian side in November 2021 as well. Talking about the Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Madhya Pradesh and Chandigarh, the Madhya Pradesh side posted a mammoth total of 331/9 on the board, with Iyer blasting a sensational 113-ball 151. In reply, the Chandigarh scorecard reads 89/3 after 16.2 overs.

Rajinikanth, on the other hand has acted in over 160 films in his unparalleled acting career. He was last seen in the movie Annathee, which was directed by Siva, and also featured prominent actors like Keerthy Suresh, Prakash Raj, Meena and Khushbu.