Venkatesh Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter, has secured a five-week contract with Lancashire for the One-Day Cup and County Championship. This move follows his impressive showing in the IPL 2024, where he was pivotal in KKR’s title win.
Iyer played a crucial role in KKR’s IPL 2024 campaign, amassing 370 runs and hitting four half-centuries, contributing significantly to the team’s third title. Despite his standout performance, he was not selected for the Indian team. As a result, Iyer has opted to play in the UK, with plans to return to India for the Duleep Trophy in September.
Venkatesh Iyer has consistently delivered strong performances in both domestic cricket and the IPL. He aims to extend this form with Lancashire and use his performance in the Duleep Trophy to bolster his chances for Team India. His last appearance for the national team was in the T20I series against Sri Lanka in early 2022.
Regarding his move to Lancashire, Iyer expressed his enthusiasm for joining the renowned club. He acknowledged that it presents a valuable chance to test his abilities and contribute to the team’s success. In an official statement, he shared his thoughts:
“I am incredibly excited to head over to England and to have the opportunity to play county cricket for the first time in my career. Lancashire is a very historic county with a long history of welcoming Indian players to their club. I am looking forward to emulating the likes of Farokh Engineer, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and most recently, Washington Sundar in wearing the Red Rose colours at Emirates Old Trafford.
“To test my skills in both one-day and first-class cricket in English conditions is going to benefit my game. I hope that I can entertain the fans and help my Lancashire teammates to achieve their targets in both formats this summer.”
Venkatesh will add experience to a young side during the One-Day Cup – Lancashire Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton
Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton also talked about Venkatesh Iyer’s signing, saying that his presence provides him with a great experience and adds great value to the team with bat and ball. He added:
“Venkatesh will add experience to a young side during the One-Day Cup, whilst providing an explosive batting option in the middle-order and another seam bowler that we can turn to with the ball.”
Lancashire had a shaky start to the tournament, suffering a loss to Durham. In the County Championship standings, they currently occupy the 7th position. Their upcoming match is against Kent on Sunday, July 28. Venkatesh Iyer will be eager to make a significant contribution with both bat and ball as he prepares for the Duleep Trophy.
