The last year has been nothing short of a fairytale for Venkatesh Iyer as he went from an almost nobody to someone who has established his place in the Indian playing XI as far as the T20I format is concerned. Iyer who had not played a single match in the first leg of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) suddenly found himself in the limelight when the tournament moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Venkatesh made his debut for India in the T20I series against New Zealand which took place after the T20 World Cup and has since then featured in all the 9 T20Is that the Men in Blue have played. And in a finisher’s role, the 27-year-old all-rounder has made a strong impression in his limited appearances for India in the shortest format.
“I remember Dada (Sourav Ganguly) quoting once ‘to be a leader you don’t necessarily have to be holding a position’. A leader is someone who irrespective of his position is able to create an environment where everyone is at parity.
“Virat bhai has got huge huge experience. He is a leader. He knows how to carry the team. We have seen on the TV screens how these two – Rohit and Virat – guide youngsters, how they discuss and plan things and take India to wins. It is really amazing to have both players in the dressing room,” said Venkatesh.
