MI vs KKR: Venkatesh Iyer's Outrageous Hundred Pushes MI On The Back Foot
Venkatesh Iyer in action [Source: AP]
Swashbuckling Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer continued his purple patch in the ongoing Indian Premier League season, as his glorious century set the tone for a massive score for Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians in the 22nd fixture of the tournament.
After being put into bat first, Kolkata Knight Riders had a poor start to their innings, as N Jagadeesan was dismissed by Cameron Green for a five-ball-duck in the second over.
With Rahmanullah Gurbaz struggling to time the ball, the Knight Riders needed someone at the other end to take on the MI pacers, who made the new ball talk with the utmost control.
Coming at number three, Venkatesh Iyer played the aggressor's role perfectly, giving the visitors the much-needed impetus, something they needed to unsettle the host bowlers.
On a pitch where his teammates toiled hard every run, the stylish southpaw from Madhya Pradesh showed no mercy on the hosts, as he compiled an explosive 49-ball hundred, with the help of five fours and nine humongous sixes.
While his on-the-up lofted shots demoralised the MI pacers, his superbly-timed sixes took a toll on MI's spin unit, particularly Hrithik Shokeen, who initially looked in great rhythm.
Iyer has always been KKR's key performer with the bat against Mumbai Indians. He also has had an incredible IPL 2023 campaign so far, amassing the most runs for the Knight Riders at a blistering strike rate.
Riding on his stupendous century, KKR are 151 for four in 16.4 overs at the time of writing. With 3.2 overs to go, they look all set to breach at least the 190-run mark.
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