Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 24 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opening batsman Venkatesh Iyer has impressed one and all with his hitting ability in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season, and he has now revealed that his style is inspired by none other than former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Rahul Tripathi and Venkatesh Iyer played knocks of 74 and 53 respectively as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Mumbai Indians by seven wickets here at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Thursday. With this win, KKR has risen to the fourth spot in the points table while Mumbai Indians has slipped to the sixth position.

“Honestly, KKR was the first franchise I wanted to get in because Sourav Ganguly was the captain initially so I wanted to get into KKR first. Got picked by the franchise so it was a dreamy moment for me. Everyone was very welcoming , I got a lot of gifts. I am a huge fan of Dada, he has got millions of fans around the globe and I am one of them. He has played a huge role in my batting,” Iyer told teammate Rahul Tripathi in a video posted on iplt20.com.

“I used to bat right-handed when I was very young but I wanted to exactly replicate Dada, how he hit sixes and the way he batted. He has played a very big role unknowingly in my life. I was really waiting for my opportunity and I knew I am going to get my chance,” he added.

Earlier, Quinton de Kock’s 55-run knock helped Mumbai Indians post 155/6 against KKR in the allotted twenty overs. For KKR, Prasidh Krishna and Lockie Ferguson scalped two wickets each.

KKR will next lock horns against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday. (ANI)