IPL 2024: Venkatesh Iyer’s Masterstroke, How Sourav Ganguly’s Advice Helped Him Outsmart MI in MI vs KKR Clash

Venkatesh Iyer said Sourav Ganguly’s invaluable advice helped him thrive during KKR’s IPL 2024 match against MI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, May 3. After the game against DC on April 29 at the Eden Gardens, Iyer took some tips from Ganguly. In KKR’s second game, he won the Player of the Match award, helping his team win by 24 runs. Batting at No. 5, Iyer rescued the Knights, who at one point were struggling at 57 for 5 in 6.1 overs. Iyer scored his fifty in 36 balls, followed by a 52-ball 70 with 6 fours and 3 sixes. He was also involved in an easy partnership of 83 runs with Manish Pandey, who scored 42 runs after replacing Angkrish Raghuvanshi as an impact sub.

After the match against MI, Iyer said he spoke to Ganguly, one of India’s greatest left-handed batsmen, about the technical aspects of his batting. “I have been a huge fan of Dada (Sourav Ganguly). Went to ask him about my attitude and technical aspects. It was a fruitful conversation. It’s going through my attitude and other aspects in the nets,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

‘I try to be a smart cricketer’
Iyer also said that he needed to play the innings with his head down after losing wickets to KKR in the Powerplay. “I try to be a smart cricketer. It was easy for me to go after Piyush Chawla and the fast bowlers. The team needed me to be there till the end,” Iyer added. Iyer has been among the runs for the Knights as he has scored 224 runs in 10 matches at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 142.67 with 2 fifties to his name