Producer: Peuli Bakshi
Venkatesh Iyer's remarkable maiden first-class century, scored off 111 balls, led Madhya Pradesh to victory over Puducherry on Jan 28 (Sunday).
Madhya Pradesh set a target of 428 runs and secured a convincing 319-run win over Puducherry in their Elite Group D Ranji Trophy match.
Batting in the third innings, Iyer rescued MP from a challenging position of 85 for 6 on the third day of the contest.
He formed a crucial 104-run partnership with Saransh Jain for the seventh wicket, steering his team towards victory.
Reflecting on his innings, Iyer said, “The best part of this innings, which stands out, is that I batted with the tail. I was able to manoeuvre the field.”
He considered the ton a special milestone in his career. “I was finally able to score a hundred and firsts are always special,” he told Sportstar.
"This will be right up there with my IPL hundred,” said an emotion-filled Venkatesh.
Notably, he is the only KKR player, following Brendon McCullum, who registered a century in the IPL, achieving the feat against MI.
In IPL 2024, Venky anticipates reprising his role for Kolkata Knight Riders, with Shreyas Iyer returning to the team.
“With Shreyas coming back into the team, I might have to slot up... I think I would be opening this year,” he told Sportstar.
Given his versatility in batting positions, observers await Iyer's performance as an opener, adding intrigue to KKR's batting lineup.