"MS Dhoni is the absolute 'Thalaiva' of Indian cricket"

KKR sensation Venkatesh Iyer believes former India skipper MS Dhoni is the absolute 'Thalaiva' of Indian cricket. Venkatesh Iyer's aggressive batsmanship in the top order during the second phase of the IPL has breathed a new lease of life into the KKR side. The Kolkata-based franchise were struggling in seventh place in the IPL 2021 points table after the first half.

During a conversation on Grade Cricketer YouTube channel, Venkatesh Iyer was asked to pick one cricketer for the title of 'Thalaiva' in Indian cricket among MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and Ravi Shastri. Without much hesitation, Venkatesh Iyer replied:

"That is a tough question, but I would have to pick MS Dhoni. He is the absolute 'Thalaiva' of Indian cricket. he deserves that."

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In four matches so far in the IPL in 2021, Venkatesh Iyer has scored 126 runs at a healthy average of 42. He also showcased his bowling prowess in the previous match against DC, where he bowled four overs and ended up with decent figures of 2/29.

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The resurgence of Kolkata in the second half has been due to the performances of Rahul Tripathi and Venkatesh Iyer: Sanjay Manrekar

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar gave credit to Rahul Tripathy and Venkatesh Iyer for playing a starring role in the resurgence of the KKR side in the UAE leg. Both of these players have been instrumental for the Kolkata franchise in the top order over the last few matches.

Sanjay Manjrekar recently reviewed KKR's performance in the second half of the IPL and said:

“Kolkata, it’s been quite a story in this Indian T20 league. The resurgence of Kolkata in the second half. It's really on the back of two players. One cost them (INR) 20 lakhs, the other (INR) 60 lakhs. I am talking about Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi. These guys have set to light the whole platform for Kolkata to the extent that they have not had to rely so much on the likes of Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, or Morgan.”

KKR are currently tied with the Mumbai Indians in the points table as they both have 10 points after playing 11 games. It will be interesting to witness the battle between these teams in the last phase of the group fixtures.