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'I pay no heed to them': Venkatesh Iyer opens up on 'comparisons' with Hardik Pandya; 'It is very natural'
Venkatesh Iyer, one of the first-team regulars in India's T20I setup, opened up on comparisons with fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League will see the previous year's finalists, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders meeting at the Wankhede Stadium in a blockbuster opening game. The CSK had defeated KKR by 27 runs to win their fourth IPL title last year and a revamped Knight Riders side will be aiming to start afresh as they take on the ‘Yellow Army’.
Ahead of the tournament, KKR retained four players from the side that featured last year including all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who produced consistent performances for the side during the second phase of the season. Iyer opened for the Knight Riders alongside Shubman Gill and played a pivotal role in their run to the final. As a result, Iyer was called-up for Team India following the World Cup and has since been a regular member of the T20I squad.
Before Iyer, Hardik Pandya was India's regular starter as the pace-bowling all-rounder; however, the 28-year-old's tryst with injuries forced him on the sidelines and eventually out of the international setup. Pandya will make a return in the Indian Premier League as he leads the Gujarat Titans side.
Iyer will be hoping to continue his consistent performances for KKR and during an interview, the all-rounder spoke in detail about his comparisons with Pandya and his own place in the side.
"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.
Talking about his position, Iyer said that he is ready to play in any position or situation for India.
“I am ready for any position and situation. As a professional cricketer, I have always maintained that I need to be very flexible. We have to understand that we are entering a team where there is cut-throat competition and that too for every role and for every player. There are not just a couple of players ready to replace you, there are hundreds in numbers, waiting,” said Iyer.
