IPL 2023 | 'Would Have Been Happier if We....,' POTM Venkatesh Iyer
Iyer scored a brilliant century [iplt20.com]
Kolkata Knight Riders left-handed batter Venkatesh Iyer scripted history on Sunday afternoon as he became the first Knight Rider to smack a three-figure score in the IPL since Brendon McCullum's majestic 158 in the league's opener 15 summers ago.
Venkatesh, who has been in great form in the ongoing season, smashed 104 off just 51 deliveries against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
His innings was laced with 6 fours and as many as 9 monstrous sixes, and it was his onslaught that paved the way for KKR to rack up 185/6 in 20 overs.
However, it proved to be a bitter-sweet day for Iyer as KKR bowlers failed to defend the total against a rampaging MI batting-unit.
Nevertheless, the southpaw was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' for hitting the 2nd hundred of the ongoing season.
Reacting to it, Iyer said that he would have been more happy had his innings ended on a winning note. However, he expressed his delight at being able to contribute to his teams' cause, but also admitted that KKR may have fallen 15-20 runs behind the par score.
Here's what Venkatesh Iyer said:
"Would have been happier if we would have finished on the winning note but nonetheless, pleased with my effort. That's the role given to me by the management and it's my job to repay them. Obviously it was a very beautiful wicket to bat on. Once you score those 30-40 runs, it gets easy to score. Really happy to get a hundred.
'Their new ball bowlers are both swing bowlers and once you allow them to settle down, it gets difficult. So I just didn't want to let them settle. Once the swing goes away, it gets easier to play them. Once you're out there doing something for the team, you forget all the pain. The wicket was really nice and I was enjoying myself out there. In hindsight I think we did score 15-20 runs less, and the way MI were going, they could have scored it in another over but yeah, we were a little short."
KKR bowlers never looked like defending the total thanks to sustained assault from the MI batters, eventually going down by 5 wickets.
 "Yash Mittal")
