'I pay no heed to them' - Venkatesh Iyer on comparisons with Hardik Pandya

Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has opened up about his comparison with senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The left-handed batter has said that he is a ‘huge’ admirer of Hardik, and although the comparisons are very natural he does not pay heed to them. To note, Team India will take part in the all-important ICC T20 World Cup 2022, which is scheduled to be played in Australia later this year. Both Venkatesh and Hardik are strong contenders for filling up the all-rounder’s spot for the Men in Blue.

Venkatesh was a star for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). The 27-year-old played a total of ten IPL matches in which he scored 370 runs with an excellent average of 41.11. Iyer played with a strike rate of 128.47, and also smashed four fifties. As a result, Iyer was called up for the national side and he made his T20I debut in November 2021 against the visiting New Zealand side.

Talking about Venkatesh’s numbers in the T20I format, he has played nine matches in which he has scored 133 runs at a massive strike rate of 162.2. The right-arm seamer has also picked up five wickets for India in his short career.

I have huge respect for Hardik Pandya: Venkatesh Iyer

‘As a cricketer, I have huge respect for Hardik bhai for what he has done for India. It is unbelievable. I am a huge admirer of Hardik bhai. These comparisons are very natural, but I pay no heed to them,” Iyer was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Meanwhile, Hardik will be leading one of the new franchises, Gujarat Titans, in the upcoming edition. The 28-year old has not played any international match since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021. BCCI’s chief selectors, Chetan Sharma, had also cleared recently that Hardik will be considered for selection in the national team only when he is fully fit.

Hardik has so far represented India in 54 T20I matches in which he has scored 553 runs, making them at a strike rate of 146.3. The right-arm medium pacer has also scalped 42 wickets so far.