Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has named 26-year-old all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer of Kolkata Knight Riders to fetch big bucks at next year’s auction.
“I’m thinking 12-14 crores, because this is not a kind of a fluke show. I was looking at his First-Class numbers and his List A record is outstanding. His average is 47, strikes at 92. That is his T20 record in domestic cricket, not counting the IPL. His strike rate is high, he averages 37. So this is a guy who knows how to bat. Plus, he is a bowler, and in the last match, he has shown that he can bowl the tough overs too. So he is somebody who is going to fetch a very high price,” Manjrekar said.
Iyer made his IPL debut for KKR in the second leg in UAE and scored an unbeaten 41 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, and then went on to register his maiden IPL fifty against Mumbai Indians in the next game. He shined with the ball as well in the following games, picking up 2/29 against Delhi Capitals and 1/30 against Punjab Kings, while scoring off a second fifty of the season against PBKS.
Manjrekar feels Iyer is not going to be a one-season wonder.
“Today, I focussed on the way he bats. Very interestingly, he bats a lot on the backfoot. Looks to pull, play the cut. So this is a batter who is not going down the wicket and trying to hit – forcing everything. He is staying on backfoot, cutting and pulling and then he’s got a big stride forward. I see him more as a real qualified T20 game-changer than somebody having a couple of good weeks,” he added.
