“In cricket, you adapt or you perish…” Venkatesh Iyer opens up on intense competition for a place in playing XI

A dip in form and Hardik’s purple patch led to Venkatesh losing his place in the Indian squad.

Venkatesh Iyer | Getty

India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had a forgettable outing in the IPL 2022. Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he could manage just 182 runs in 12 matches at a dismal average of 16.55.

Iyer has been dropped from the ODI and T20I squads as a result of Hardik Pandya's recent return to the Indian team, who has been in phenomenal touch with both bat and ball.

However, Venkatesh is keen on improving his game despite things not quite going his way.

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Speaking to Sportskeeda, Iyer said that he is only concerned about improving his game, particularly in the bowling department.

“I am working on my fitness and also on my bowling so that I can add a few clicks to my pace,” he stated. 

"I always believe in coming back to the drawing board and working on my basics when things don't go my way. The ball hitting the middle of the bat is important for us cricketers and I am not thinking too much about what happened in the past or what is going to happen ahead," he added.

Venkatesh Iyer claimed that he is aware of the level of competition that exists to grab a spot in the starting XI of the Indian team and is not overly concerned about falling behind.

“See, I believe that in cricket, you adapt or you perish. The opportunities are limited and the talent is so much so it is great to be a part of the huge pool of talent. So you need to adapt to fit into the scenario or else you will be pushed behind the line. So I always look to contribute to the team in any way possible, whether it's opening, batting in the middle-order or bowling a couple of overs,” he said.

(SPORTSKEEDA INPUTS)

 

 
 

By Abhishek Ghan - 22 Aug, 2022

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