Aaj ek aur chance hai: Venkatesh Iyer reveals words of encouragement from the ‘likable’ Suryakumar Yadav

Sport

Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer praised Suryakumar Yadav, saying that everyone in the Indain dressing room likes the star bait that played a crucial role India’s 3-0 victory over the West Indies in a 3-match T20I series that ended in Kolkata on Sunday.

Suryakumar Yadav has extensive domestic experience but is a relatively new face in the Indian dressing room having only played 7 ODIs and 14 T20Is. However, the Mumbai Indians’ lure seems to have taken responsibility for making it easy for newcomers to the team.

Speaking to Star Sports after starring in India’s third T20I win, Venkatesh Iyer said Suryakumar Yadav made him feel at home in the middle during their 91-run streak that left India despite a middle wobble Order on Sunday after 184 helped.

“That’s what you need, lads bouncing off each other. When I got out there, even Surya was relatively new to the fold. I still remember the first words he said to me — ‘Aaj ek aur chance hai,'” Iyer said.

“I think when an older player tells you that it gives you a lot of confidence, you see pressure as a privilege.

“He’s one of those guys that everyone in the dressing room likes, he has great chemistry. He was wonderful to bat with, I really enjoyed how he batted from the non-striker side,” he added added.

Suryakumar and Iyer stitched 91 runs in just 37 balls as India recorded their best-ever death overs batting performance in T20Is – 86 runs in the last 5 overs. The two batsmen had shook hands as the team struggled after losing for 7 balls from 15 to captain Rohit Sharma, who batted 4th on Sunday.

However, Suryakumar and Iyer took the attack to the West Indian bowlers, hitting 9 sixes and 5 borders between them. While the former hit 65 with just 31 balls, Iyer went unbeaten on 35 balls from just 19 as the two ensured Kolkata crowds were entertained.

While Suryakumar has established himself as a key cog in the middle tier of the Indian T20I team, Iyer has made good use of his opportunities in the finisher role. The Kolkata Knight Riders star scored 92 runs and picked up 2 wickets in the 3-match series against the West Indies.

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