Venkatesh ranked this century as highly as the one he scored in the IPL last year. Venkatesh pulled MP from a dangerous 85 for six on day three and created important partnerships with the lower order to set Pondicherry a huge 428-run target.
In the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Venkatesh Iyer is set to take over as opener for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while captain Shreyas Iyer rejoins the team after missing the 2023 edition due to injury.
“Shreyas [Iyer] returning to the team may require me to take a more prominent position… After hitting his first-class century in Madhya Pradesh’s decisive 319-run victory over the host Pondicherry in the Ranji Trophy, Venkatesh told Sportstar on Sunday, “I think I would be opening this year.”
After hitting 111 balls to achieve the three-figure milestone, he instantly fell for a minute or so before erupting into a customary celebration. He felt like a gap had finally been filled, but it wasn’t cramps or tiredness that caused it. Instead, it was welling emotions.
“There was just one more box to check off this list, and there will be hundreds more after that. I started to get teary-eyed. Upon reaching the hundred, I realized that this was what I had been lacking. I have now spent more than six years on this team. When I see folks get hundreds and am glad for them, I feel a little empty inside. However, when my numbers show that I haven’t scored a hundred, I don’t feel the same way. But now that I’ve finally managed to achieve a hundred, firsts are always memorable,” he remarked.
This century was considered just as important as the one he struck in the IPL last year by Venkatesh, who rallied MP from a dangerous 85 for six on the third day and formed crucial partnerships with the lower order to set Pondicherry a massive 428-run mark.
“When the team needed me to score some runs, I entered the game in the third inning. The one notable aspect of this innings is that I chose to bat with the tail. I had the ability to maneuver the field. It has always been my dream to bat with every fielder on the boundary. I often imagine seeing this sight. This will rank right up there with my hundred IPL matches.Venkatesh returned to form in the IPL 2023, scoring 404 runs, mostly at Nos. 3 and 4, with a much better strike rate of 145.85. After making waves in the IPL 2021, he had a lackluster 2022 season. Against the Mumbai Indians at No. 3, he also became just the second KKR batsman to score an IPL century, following Brendon McCullum in 2008. The century came off 49 balls.
But Venkatesh thinks he’ll have to step back up because Shreyas is expected to return as the team’s leader and fit in at one drop.
However, the all-round player is used to moving up and down the batting order. After his IPL 2021 exploits, he was thrust into the Indian team as a finisher and bats in the middle order for MP. In 2022, he made an impact with several quick cameos at No. 6 in a three-match T20I series against the West Indies.The selectors, however, were also intrigued by Venkatesh’s bowling ability, even though his few international bowling opportunities didn’t stand out. They were searching for a replacement for the injured Hardik Pandya ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia that year.
