Former New Zealand player Mitchell McClenaghan called Venkatesh Iyer the unsung hero of KKR for the victory in IPL 2024. The former New Zealand player also feels that Venkatesh Iyer also did a wonderful job in the playoffs.
Venkatesh Iyer played an impressive knock of 52 runs in the final of IPL 2024. With his quick unbeaten knocks of 52 off 26 balls, he ensured that KKR chased the target as fans expected them to. KKR needed just 114 runs for the win and Iyer helped them chase them down in 11 overs.
Notably, Phil Salt quit IPL 2024 during the playoffs. The England batsman scored 435 runs in 12 games in IPL 2024 and finished with the second-most runs in the team. He has a strike rate of 182+. He scored 4 half centuries.
However, Iyer slammed two half-centuries in Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 as KKR’s opener did not get off to a stunning start like they used to have with the Sunil-Salt pair in the league stage.
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Mitchell McCleanaghan praises Venkatesh Iyer
Is Venkatesh Iyer KKR’s unsung hero this season? ✨#IPL2024 #IPLfinal #KKRvSRH @Mitch_Savage pic.twitter.com/ptAJz91I5Z
– ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 27, 2024
While speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, 37-year-old Mitchell McCleanaghan termed Iyer as KKR’s unsung hero for rising to the occasion in Salt’s absence.
“I think probably the young, unsung hero of KKR, when Phil Salt left and developed quite well, was Venkatesh Iyer. His last run since that 70 scored in Mumbai, the 51 not out was against SRH in the first qualifier and then another time tonight in tough conditions to come out and play like he did, it really sealed the deal really well,” he said.
Notably, Venkatesh Iyer scored 370 runs in 13 innings with 5 unbeaten knocks. At an average of 45+, the left-handed batsman smashed 4 half-centuries at a strike rate of 158+. After Narine and Salt, he was the team’s third-highest run-getter.
KKR showed a lot of teamwork to win IPL 2024
However, since KKR had too many players putting in their best show in IPL 2024, Iyer’s batting show was left in retrospect. For example, Narine finished as the team’s leading run-getter and also scalped 17 wickets for the team.
Andre Russell was another all-rounder who showed impressive form. In 15 games, he bagged 19 wickets with 10.05 economy and also scored 222 runs in 9 innings with a strike rate of over 185.
Even in bowling, KKR have impressive teamwork with players like Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana taking more than 10 wickets each.