KKR star confirms a change in role; set to open the batting in IPL 2024

Last year, KKR were inconsistent, for they failed to churn out consistent performances.

By Darpan Jain Updated: Feb 1, 2024, 18:52 IST

Andre Russell is a good player.?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

There were a few individual flashes of brilliance from different players, but KKR couldn’t perform as a unit, which was the biggest reason for their mediocre performances.

The return of Shreyas Iyer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will bolster Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), making them a formidable force. Last year, KKR were inconsistent, for they failed to churn out consistent performances.

There were a few individual flashes of brilliance from different players, but KKR couldn’t perform as a unit, which was the biggest reason for their mediocre performances. The likes of Jason Roy, Nitish Rana, and Rinku Singh showed their potential from time to time.

However, the Knight Riders missed the services of their captain, Shreyas Iyer, in the middle order. He is a quality batter with vast experience playing the format, and KKR showed massive trust in him by appointing him their captain.

Also Read: India star likely to miss 3rd and 4th Tests against England

His absence severely disrupted the combination of KKR, for a few players had to bat out of position. KKR also made numerous changes and failed to strike an ideal combination throughout the tournament, and Iyer’s presence will help KKR form a settled XI.

Venkatesh Iyer confirms a change in role; set to open the batting in IPL 2024

Venkatesh Iyer notched up his maiden First-Class century against Pondicherry, scoring 135 runs in 124 balls with the help of 13 boundaries and four maximums. After the century, Iyer chatted with Sportstar about his role in the KKR setup next season.

“With Shreyas [Iyer] coming back into the team, I might have to slot up... I think I would be opening this year.”

Venkatesh celebrated his maiden century well and told Sportstar that he got a bit emotional after the milestone. Iyer feels that it is a start, and he wants to score many more centuries.

“This was one box that was left to tick, and this is the beginning of many more hundreds. I got a little emotional. As soon as I scored the hundred, I realised that this was something that I had been missing. I have been in this team for over six years now. Just looking at people score hundreds, being happy for them, contributing to the side with bat and ball, but then when my stats come up, I don’t see a hundred. I feel a little void. But now I was finally able to score a hundred, and firsts are always special.”

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.