NEWS
Follow UsIndia ODI captain KL Rahul felt that allrounder Venkatesh Iyer will be a great sixth-bowling option as India looks to build for the upcoming T20 and ODI World Cups. Iyer, who played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' run in to the IPL 2021 final, received his maiden international callup for the T20I series against New Zealand and is part of the ODI squad for the three-match series against South Africa starting on Wednesday.
"Venkatesh Iyer has been an exciting talent and we saw it with KKR and the New Zealand T20 series. Fast-bowling allrounders are a great asset to the team. He looked really good in the nets, so very excited to see him play," Rahul said in the press conference ahead of the first ODI.
"Sixth-bowling option has become important in white-ball cricket and we are trying to develop that. Venkatesh Iyer is now in the team so we will give him the chance for that," he added.
India has recalled Ravichandran Ashwin in to the ODI squad for the first time since June, 2017. Rahul was confident that the pitch at Boland Park for the first two matches Park will aid Ashwin and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
"Every venue is different. We practiced a couple of days on the Boland Park pitch and we feel it might offer a lot more for the spinners than the Test series. We have Ashwin coming back in to the ODI side and we all know the quality he brings in. Chahal is also a proven performer, so we are sure these two can exploit the conditions in the first two games."
With regular captain Rohit Sharma sidelined for the tour due to a hamstring injury, Rahul was confident that senior opener Shikhar Dhawan will put in good performances.
"He (Dhawan) is a senior and has a lot of experienced as a player. He understands what the team expects from him. He is in a good space and has been enjoying his cricket. As a captain, my job is to keep him in that space and try to give him that confidence. The talk with him has been about keep doing the things he has been doing for so many years," Rahul said.
Rohit's absence also means the opening responsibility will be shared by Rahul, who will be batting at the top. However, the Karnataka batter is not keen on making any of the top order positions as his set priority.
"I batted at different positions as the team needed me there. With Rohit not being here, Ill bat the top of the order," Rahul said.
"But we have to flexible. We dont want to be a team that is predictable. There will be games where I have to bat in the lower-order. Everyone will have to adjust according to the team strategies.," he said.
Rahul said that the team is working on the upcoming series by keeping the 2023 ODI World Cup in mind.
"We are not going to be afraid to try new things. Our focus is the World Cup and will get the best playing XI on the park," he said.
Speaking about players' mental state while living in bio-bubbles, Rahul was grateful for the series organizers for keeping him and his teammates safe during the tour.
"No bio-bubble is fun. The best has been done to keep us safe. The hotels where we stayed here have really looked after us. I think this is eighth or tenth bubble we have stayed. But the cricket has always been exciting. All the three Tests have been played with great passion. The new guys in the team will also give us new energy," Rahul said.