Does not matter how many runs I score, my best season will be when KKR wins the IPL: Venkatesh Iyer

After taking IPL 2021 by storm and helping Kolkata Knight Riders qualify for the final, the franchise showed faith in all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer and retained him ahead of Shubman Gill for the following season. However, the cricketer failed to step up and was massively criticised in 2022. 

But in 2023, Iyer made a solid impact even though KKR could not qualify for the playoffs. He scored 404 runs at a strike rate of 145-plus in 14 matches, including a century, however, he is least bothered about the number of runs he is scoring as his aim is to help the franchise win their third title.

Speaking about the future IPL seasons, Iyer stated that his batting position might change as skipper Shreyas Iyer is expected to make his return to the playing XI. He also mentioned that his best season will be when KKR finally lift the trophy.

“Results really don’t matter. The best season would come when KKR would win even if I have contributed only 250-300 runs but KKR wins the title that would be my best season. So yeah, the only goal would be to make KKR win irrespective of the position I play, be it opening or No. 3 or maybe even finishing. I really want to make KKR win,” Iyer told Cricket Addictor.

Rinku Singh is a future superstar: Venkatesh Iyer

Flamboyant batter Rinku Singh took the cricketing world by storm when he hit five back-to-back sixes in the final over to help KKR win a classic thriller against Gujarat Titans this year. Other than that, Rinku has also played some brilliant cricket throughout the season and with that, he is on the verge of making it to the Indian team in the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. Speaking about him, Iyer stated that Rinku is a future superstar and is extremely talented.

“I think he’s one of the most fun-loving guys in the KKR setup. Extremely talented and a great guy to hang around with and I had a lot of fun with him. Definitely, he’s a future superstar as he has shown time and time why he can be relied on in terms of finishing and anchoring the innings. He is such a dynamic player and I really feel that he’s gonna be the next big thing in Indian cricket,” the 28-year-old said.