Venkatesh Iyer Outmatches Virat Kohli, Warner & Dhawan with a Stunning Ton

image-lgjcde2jVenkatesh slammed the second IPL 2023 ton vs MI (AP Photo)

Against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede, Kolkata Knight Riders' fierce all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer smacked his maiden hundred in the Indian Premier League, finishing at 104 and helping the visitors end at 185-6. With that stunning ton, the KKR batter has surpassed Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner and Virat Kohli in the race to Orange Cap in IPL 2023, becoming the current leading run-getter of the season. 


After five innings in IPL 2023, Iyer has amassed a total of 234 runs at an average of 46.80 with a strike rate of 170.80, which included a century and a half-century to his name. The next on the list is Punjab's skipper Dhawan (233 runs), DC's Warner (288), Kohli (214) and Jos Buttler (204).

Interestingly, the southpaw has become the first KKR batter to slash an IPL hundred after Brendon McCullum, who tonked a century in IPL's first-ever fixture back in 2008.


Ventakesh Iyer's IPL career

Debuted in 2021, Iyer has been the go-to batter for KKR in the last three seasons. In his debut IPL season, he helped turn Kolkata's fortunes in the second phase of the IPL 2021, putting them into the final of the tournament. 

He had a tough time in the last season of the league, but Iyer has redeemed himself in the ongoing season under the leadership duo of Nitish Rana and Chandrakant Pandit. 

Moreover, the southpaw has enjoyed his time against the five-time champions, smacking 53, 50 and 43 before hitting his maiden IPL hundred on Sunday.

At Wankhede, it was just the Venkatesh Iyer show, with not even a single Kolkata batter crossing the 21-run mark. Nevertheless, on the back of a scintillating ton, KKR have posted a gigantic score of 185 runs.

Without Rohit Sharma being in MI's starting XI, the target of 186 would be a mountain to them to climb at their home ground.