Excited to work under Gautam Gambhir-Chandrakant Pandit combination: Venkatesh Iyer

New Delhi. Ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer said he is excited to work in conjunction with coach Chandrakant Pandit and mentor Gautam Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Venkatesh said, “Gautam sir coming back will be a huge benefit for KKR. I am really looking forward to working with him. Whatever conversations I have had with him in the past, he has always talked about making an impact for team goals rather than individual achievements.

“He is an amazing leader and I am also excited to see the combination of him and Chandu sir (Chandrakant Pandit). “Both are amazing tacticians and have experience of winning trophies,” Venkatesh told KKR.in on Sunday. After a weak IPL 2022 season, Venkatesh put in an impressive performance in IPL 2023 as a specialist batsman, Scored 404 runs as number three and four batsman at a strike rate of 145.85, with a century in 49 balls against Mumbai Indians being the highlight.

Venkatesh, who played two ODIs and nine T20Is for India, said, “It is always exciting to be a part of KKR and I feel honored and privileged to play for this amazing franchise. The ultimate goal is to win the trophy. We know we have the potential to win it so we’re looking forward to going out there and giving our best performance. I am looking forward to contributing with both bat and ball, so let’s hope for the best. ,

In the recent Ranji Trophy season, Venkatesh performed well with the bat for Madhya Pradesh, scoring 547 runs in eight matches at an average of 45.58, which included one century and four fifties.

“It was wonderful to represent Madhya Pradesh in the domestic season under the leadership of Chandu sir (Chandrakant Pandit). This was my first full season in almost four years. We performed well as a team and there are a lot of positives for me. Coming into the camp after the Ranji Trophy, I have felt confident in my skills with both bat and ball.

In Ranji Trophy matches, Venkatesh Iyer, who has been associated with KKR since IPL 2021, also took eight wickets with his medium-pace bowling, something he did not do in IPL 2023 as an ankle injury kept him out for some time Was. He said, “Domestic tournaments help in building your confidence in pressure situations. I am very confident in my skills and once you are confident about your skills, the implementation part becomes easy. Whenever the captain wants me to bowl an over or two, I will always be there. Shreyas has always had faith in me and is confident that I can work for the team in pressure situations.

Two-time IPL winners KKR will begin their main pre-season camp in Kolkata ahead of the 2024 edition on March 15. Their IPL 2024 campaign begins on March 23 against 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground Eden Gardens.