'Don't think he'll be too successful; hasn't even worked on his bowling': Madan Lal's brutal verdict on India allrounder
Whatever former coach and all-rounder Madan Lal has seen of the youngster, he isn't convinced about the 27-year-old's future with the Indian team.
Starting Sunday, Team India would look to start afresh against the West Indies and look to put the disappointment of the South Africa series on the backburner. India squandered the advantage of winning the Centurion Test by losing the next two at Johannesburg and Cape Town, and if that wasn’t enough, the Men in Blue's disastrous tour continues as South Africa inflicted a 3-0 whitewash in the ODIs.
A few players were let go off from India's squad for the ODIs and T20Is against West Indies, while some were persisted with. And then there were those, who was axed from the South ODI squad but were granted a place in the T20Is. One such player is Venkatesh Iyer, whom we saw a glimpse of in the South Africa ODIs. A sensation for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021, Iyer was granted a place in India's ODI squad. However, whatever former all-rounder Madan Lal has seen of Iyer, he isn't convinced about the 27-year-old's future with the Indian team.
"If batting at No. 5 or 6, I don't think he will be too successful. I saw his bowling too. Even that wasn't impressive. I think he can only bowl 2-3 overs at maximum. He hasn't even worked on his bowling. If you think that he can fit into the team is an all-rounder then it is very difficult to him. The only position you can try him at is the opening position," Lal, a former India coach, said on Aaj Tak.
Iyer has so far managed to retain his place in the squad, but for the youngster, things will become difficult once Ravindra Jadeja is fit and if Hardik Pandya is able to prove his mettle for team Ahmedabad in the Indian Premier League 2022. For years, Pandya and Jadeja were the team's two most prolific all-rounders and once both are set to return down the line, Iyer might not find a place in the Indian set-up.
Iyer played two matches for India before getting dropped for the final ODI. In the first ODI, Iyer scored just 2 runs and surprisingly, did not bowl. In the second match, Iyer batted better, scoring 22 and bowled five overs, conceding 28 runs without picking up a wicket. Before the ODIs, Iyer had even featured in two T20Is against New Zealand, scoring 12* and 20, and picking up 1/12 in Kolkata.
