Venkatesh also explained how another KKR star earned his India cap.
In an interview earlier this year, the star batter of the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Venkatesh Iyer picked Ramandeep Singh and Suryansh Shedge as massive impact players for their respective teams.
Venkatesh shared his views on the conflict between making an impact on the team in different ways or scoring big runs. The 30-year-old emphasised the impact created by a player rather than the number of runs, though stating that it may differ from every individual’s thought process. The key player of KKR’s title-winning campaign last season, who scored 370 runs at a strike rate of 158, gave an example of his fellow Knight Riders teammate Ramandeep Singh and Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) Suryansh Shedge.
“I’m really big on the results that come our way. If we are playing the knockouts, your 20 or your 30 will be highlighted. I don’t know how many runs Suryansh Shedge scored (in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy). I don’t think he scored 400-500 runs, but he had a massive impact. (Shedge, bought by Punjab Kings for the 2025 IPL, scored 131 runs at a strike rate of 251.92.) Everyone knows him now. Everyone knows that he was the one who gave Mumbai that edge over the others”, stated Venkatesh.
“In the last IPL, Ramandeep Singh did not score 300-350 runs [he made 125 runs at a strike rate of 201.61 for KKR], but the impact he had on the team was massive and look at what he’s got: an India cap. So I don’t think that impact goes unnoticed, but again, it is up to you to understand what kind of impact you have to create”, he added.
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While talking about the role as a top-order batter, Venkatesh believes one has to score at least 300-400 runs in a season to show his impact on the team’s success. The southpaw recalled how Chandrakant Pandit, coach of Madhya Pradesh and the KKR, scolded him for not finishing a game even after scoring a precious half-century.
“In domestic cricket, Chandu sir is big on the fact that if you have made the game for your side, you better finish it. Don’t leave it for others to finish. [Once] despite my scoring a solid 50, Chandu sir scolded me because I did not finish the game. In that moment it feels really bad that I have scored so many runs, so why am I not being appreciated, but in hindsight, I feel what he said is absolutely correct. If you have set up the game, you apply the finishing touches, you don’t leave it for others. What if that person fails? What if it’s not his day? That’s a big, big lesson I’ve learned from Chandu Pandit sir”, explained the KKR batter.
This year, KKR bought him with a whopping 23.75 crore from the mega auction and elected him as the deputy to skipper Ajinkya Rahane. They will kick off the tournament at their home ground, Eden Gardens on March 22 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
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