The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be taking on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening game of the 2022 Indian Premier League on March 26. KKR will be taking the field under a new captain – Shreyas Iyer – after the franchise bought him for INR 12.25 crore in the mega auction last month. However, the team will also feature a significant number of old faces including Venkatesh Iyer, who was retained by KKR ahead of the new season.
Iyer produced scintillating performances for the Knight Riders during the second phase of the season in the United Arab Emirates, playing a pivotal role in their run to the final of the tournament. Following his consistent performances, he also earned an international call-up and remains an active member of the playing XI in T20Is.
While Iyer will likely be an automatic choice in the XI for KKR, the side’s former opener Aakash Chopra believes that Iyer is still a “half-a-season wonder” at the moment.
“Venkatesh Iyer is a half-a-season wonder till now. After that, he played for India as well, played at a different number and he has done well. But the truth is that there are second-season blues. He might not have that much because he has played for India also in between and he is not a greenhorn if we talk about first-class cricket. So you will expect that his season will still be good,” Aakash said on his official YouTube channel.
The former India opener also said that Ajinkya Rahane is the strongest contender for the opening spot alongside Iyer.
“Who will open with him? They had Alex Hales with them, he left. Finch has not come as yet and will not be able to come for three matches because he will be in Pakistan. So you will have to open with someone else. There are options but I feel open with Ajinkya Rahane. He knows all the Mumbai grounds and understands the pitches in Maharashtra,” said Aakash.