A similarity between Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer and senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been brought to light by the latter. The left-handed hitter has said that he is a ‘big’ fan of Hardik Pandya. He has stated that he does not pay attention to the parallels, even though they are very natural. Notably, Team India will compete in the critically crucial ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2022, which will be held in Australia at the end of the current cricket season. All-rounders Venkatesh and Hardik are both strong candidates to take over for the Men in Blue’s all-rounder berth.
Venkatesh was a standout performer for his Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the previous season (IPL). With an impressive average of 41.11, the 27-year-old amassed 370 runs in 10 IPL matches. Iyer had a strike rate of 128.47 while playing, and he also had four fifty scores to his credit. As a consequence, Iyer was called up to the national team. He made his Twenty20 International debut against the visiting New Zealand side in November 2021.
When it comes to Venkatesh’s performance in the Twenty20 International format, he has played nine matches and scored 133 runs at a blistering strike rate of 162.2 in those games. In addition, the right-arm seamer has taken five wickets for India in his brief international career.
Venkatesh Iyer holds Hardik Pandya in high regard
‘Hardik Bhai has earned my utmost respect as a cricketer for the work he has done for his country. It’s almost unbelievable to think about it. Hardik bhai is someone I hold in high regard. These analogies are very normal, but I don’t pay attention to them,’ Venkatesh Iyer said as reported by the Times of India.
The Gujarat Titans are a new team that will compete this season. Hardik will serve as their captain in the event. Since the completion of the T20 World Cup 2021, the 28-year-old has not appeared in an international match for any country. Similarly, Chetan Sharma, the BCCI’s chief selector, has said that Hardik would only be considered for inclusion in the national squad if he is totally recovered from his injury.
Hardik has played 54 Twenty20 International matches for India, in which he has scored 553 runs at a strike rate of 146.3. He has represented India in 54 T20I matches, in which he has scored 553 runs at a strike rate of 146.3. In addition, the right-arm medium pacer has taken 42 wickets so far.
