Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa applauds Venkatesh Iyer’s impressive performance with the ball in the third T20I against New Zealand. And, he believes this will give captain Rohit Sharma the much-needed confidence to utilize him in future as well.
However, India have defeated New Zealand by 73 runs in the final T20I of the series in Kolkata on Sunday. And, Venkatesh Iyer didn’t disappoint with the ball where he bowled three overs for 12 runs and claimed the wicket of Adam Milne as well.
Reflecting on Venkatesh Iyer’s performance with the ball, Uthappa said on ESPNCricinfo: “The way Venkatesh Iyer bowled will give Rohit a lot more confidence to throw the ball to him in different situations in the future. I think it was a matter of Venkatesh Iyer earning Rohit’s respect as far as his bowling was concerned. With the way he bowled today, he actually did that.”
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Meanwhile, former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori also praised him. He said: “They have to reevaluate and (find out) if Venkatesh Iyer’s bowling is good enough in a place like Australia. They started that path today by actually giving him a bowl to see what he can do. Whether his all-round prowess can fit into the team moving forward towards that World Cup (remains to be seen).”
However, Venkatesh Iyer made his debut in this series and already impressed everyone. He came in the team on the back of a stupendous IPL season where he had played for KKR in the second phase in the UAE as well. While he was asked to evaluate the overall performance of Iyer in his debut international series, Uthappa shared his disappointment with the way he batted.
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He opined: “Honestly, Venkatesh Iyer didn’t do himself any favors with the way he batted in the series. Possibly, he could have been a bit more circumspect in retrospect. But the fact that he bowled so well would give him a look in. You really want to put your hands up when you get an opportunity, like Deepak Chahar did today with the way he batted in those last eight balls.”
Notably, the all-rounder registered scores of 4, 12* and 20 in the three T20Is against New Zealand as well.
