A freak accident in October last year almost jeopardised Venkatesh Iyer’s career. What initially appeared to be an ankle twist turned grave as the scans revealed that the subtalar joint on the left ankle had come out. The India international had to be at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for about four to five months.
Not only did he miss out on a chunk of domestic cricket, but there was also uncertainty about how soon he would recover. While the medical staff at the NCA took good care of him, quite a few doctors had warned Iyer that he would not be able to run as fast as he normally would.
It certainly was concerning news for the 28-year-old, but he did not lose hope. Soon after returning home from Bengaluru, he slowly got back in the groove and began his training. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) approaching, there was not much time in hand, but Iyer took things in his stride and returned to the Madhya Pradesh side for the Ranji Trophy semifinals against Bengal.
Despite bagging scores of just seven and 19, Iyer showed patience and eventually prepared himself for the IPL. He attended the Kolkata Knight Riders camp and was determined to return to form. And on Sunday, he was happy to have scored a century against Mumbai Indians - his maiden in the tournament.
In the process, Iyer also became the second KKR player - after Brendon McCullum - to score a century. Not putting too much thought into statistics, Iyer was happy to be back in action.
Iyer has enjoyed success in his ‘comeback’ IPL season, and he wants to keep the momentum going as the league enters its crucial stage. | Photo Credit: K R DEEPAK/The Hindu
“I am fortunate to be under a system where the BCCI takes care of me. Everything was taken care of, and I was at the NCA for four to five months. All the doctors and trainers were very cooperative, and they helped me come out of this space,” Iyer said on Sunday.
“Injury does not take a toll on your body just physically, but also mentally. You go through a lot. Post my injury, coming back and playing, was something that made me smile,” he added.
Iyer injured his knee at the start of his innings while attempting a ramp shot off Cameron Green. The blow was painful for Iyer, as he hobbled between the wickets to complete runs.
“The first impression was to go out because it was unbearable, but the way the coach and the staff attended me and motivated me to keep going is something I am privileged about. That kept me going,” Iyer said, adding that he will go for a scan as a precautionary measure.
Iyer credited Abhishek Nayar for backing him. “One name worth mentioning here is Abhishek Nayar. He has worked with my batting day in and day out and not just batting, also my approach towards the game. I credit this century to him.”
After making it to the Indian team, Iyer failed to cement a place, and even he understands that a few good innings in the IPL could once again open doors for him. But he does not want to think too much about it.
“I don’t believe in losing the place and coming back. That’s not something that I look at. That’s not in my hands. I never thought of playing for India when I played in the IPL in Abu Dhabi, so that’s not a part of my process,” he said.
“I just want to go out and explore what I can do on a cricket field. As far as this season goes, it’s Venkatesh Iyer doing what’s correct for the team and not individually. The clarity of roles given to me is amazing, and I am looking to go out there and execute that plan…”
Over the last few years, Iyer has worked under Chandrakant Pandit, who is also the Madhya Pradesh coach. And now, with Pandit at the helm of KKR, it has been an advantage for Iyer.
“I have been working with him (Pandit) for three years, and I am happy that his tactics are now at an international level. What you are seeing out there is that KKR is one family - we win together, we lose together. We are a much-disciplined side,” Iyer said.
“He has been observing me for some time now, so he knows what my strengths and limitations are. He keeps on pushing me towards my strength. Sometimes, to look for extraordinary things, we forget the simpler things, so Chandu sir keeps us towards the basics a lot. That’s helping us…”
In the past, Iyer had played as an opener for KKR, but this time around, in the absence of captain Shreyas Iyer, he has been asked to bat in the middle-order. He started with scores of 34, 3, and a half-century last week against Gujarat Titans. On Sunday, he followed it up with a ton against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.
“Shreyas is not in the team, he is injured, and someone had to take up the role of No. 3, which is an important role. I have maintained that I want to be flexible as a cricketer. When he (coach) told me that I have to bat at No 3, the intent did not change,” he said.
“You have to go after the bowling in the Powerplay, and once I analyse that the ball is not swinging, I take my chances and get the team off to a flier. The tactics are defined then and there, this is a red soil pitch, so I had to play much squarer and not straighter…”
So far, Iyer has enjoyed success in his ‘comeback’ IPL season, and he wants to keep the momentum going as the league enters its crucial stage.
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