Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Venkatesh Iyer has made a mark in the second phase of IPL 2021 with his last two knocks against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI). After a 27-ball 41* runs innings against RCB, Iyer smashed 53 runs off 30 balls in a clash with MI on Thursday (September 23).

Apart from Iyer, Rahul Tripathi also played an unbeaten 74-run knock to ensure KKR's victory by 7 wickets. They both had a conversation after the match in which the KKR opener talked about his inspiration, India's former captain Sourav Ganguly.

Iyer said he wanted to play for Kolkata because of Ganguly, who had captained the franchise in the first few years. He called it a dream moment for him to be picked by KKR.

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“Honestly, KKR was the first franchise I wanted to get in because Sourav Ganguly was the captain initially so I wanted to get into KKR first. Got picked by the franchise so it was a dreamy moment for me. Everyone was very welcoming, I got a lot of gifts," he said.

The 26-year-old said his idol, Ganguly has a huge role in his batting. "I am a huge fan of Dada, he has got millions of fans around the globe and I am one of them. He has played a huge role in my batting, indirectly,” Iyer told teammate Tripathi.

“I used to bat right-handed when I was very young but I wanted to exactly replicate Dada, how he hit sixes and the way he batted. He has played a very big role unknowingly in my life. I was really waiting for my opportunity and I knew I am going to get my chance,” he added.

Kolkata Knight Riders will next play Chennai Super Kings on Sunday (September 26). They have won both their matches in the UAE-leg to move to No. 4 spot on the points table.