Venkatesh Iyer pulverised the RCB bowlers on IPL debut and followed it up with a 30-ball 53 to help his side register a rare win over MI. ©BCCI
Harbhajan Singh might not be a regular member of Kolkata Knight Riders' line-up but has had important duties as the mentor of a young man who's described by those close to him as calm-headed and studious.
It was Singh who felt that Venkatesh Iyer could learn a few lessons from Virat Kohli, and arranged for a chat between the two after the game against RCB. Apart from the fact that he could pick the brains of arguably the finest batsman currently, Venkatesh thoroughly enjoys analysing the details of the game deeply.
He is nerdy, and in Madhya Pradesh, where he has grown up, his coaches slot his habit in the stereotype of 'typically south Indian'.
His batting comes across as an alter ego of the personality off the field. His game though is built on big bat swing, limited foot movement, aggressive intent and bludgeoning the ball. McCullum-esque. Morgan-esque. A style of batting that fits in naturally with KKR's leadership setup.
