IPL 2021: Brendon McCullum allows us to play with freedom, says KKR opener Venkatesh Iyer

Iyer,
who
made
his
IPL
debut
against
Royal
Challengers
Bangalore,
said
there
is
no
extra
pressure
when
batting
in
front
of
head
coach
McCullum
as
he
allows
the
players
to
be
their
natural
self
and
play
the
brand
of
cricket
that
gives
them
satisfaction.

“It
is
always
good
to
see
McCullum,
and
I
am
really
excited
to
bat
as
he’s
gonna
watch.
There
is
no
such
pressure
when
he
is
right
behind
the
nets,”
Iyer
said
in
a
video
posted
by
KKR
on
its
twitter
handle.

Is
there
extra
pressure
when

@Bazmccullum
is
watching
you
bat
from
behind
the
nets?

Venkatesh
Iyer
answers!
????#AmiKKR
#KKR
#IPL2021
#KorboLorboJeetbo
#CricketTwitter
pic.twitter.com/B0BYoLtGiA

—
KolkataKnightRiders
(@KKRiders)

September
23,
2021

“He
is
not
a
coach
that
puts
a
lot
of
pressure
on
us.
He
allows
us
to
be
what
we
are,
and
play
the
cricket
that
gives
us
maximum
satisfaction.
So
I
think
that’s
good
for
players
like
us.”

The
26-year-old
from
Madhya
Pradesh,
who
played
a
fearless
knock
in
KKR’s
victory
over
RCB,
also
explained
if
batsmen
tend
to
play
an
aggressive
brand
of
cricket
in
front
of
someone
like
McCullum.

“Not
like
that,
see
the
best
quality
about
someone
aggressive
is
he
knows
how
to
handle
situations
and
players.
So,
I
guess,
he
just
lets
us
be
ourselves
and
that’s
gonna
work,”
Iyer
added.

IPL
2021:
Eoin
Morgan
pleased
to
see
aggressive
brand
of
cricket
by
Kolkata
Knight
Riders

Following
Iyer’s
unbeaten
41
off
just
27
balls
against
RCB,
KKR
skipper
Eoin
Morgan
was
mighty
impressed
by
the
young
batsman’s
approach.

“Venkatesh
Iyer,
the
way
he
came
in
and
played
was
outstanding.
Certainly,
the
brand
of
cricket
we
want
to
play.
Playing
under
head
coach
Brendon
McCullum,
this
is
the
aggressive
nature
of
cricket
we
want
to
play,”
Morgan
said
during
a
virtual
post-match
press
conference.

“Although
he
was
aggressive,
he
managed
to
control
his
innings.
His
opening
partnership
with
Shubman
Gill
was
beautiful
to
watch.”

Before
the
second
phase
started,
McCullum
himself
had
talked
about
his
coaching
style
as
he
looked
to
put
behind
the
first
half
performance.

“I
wasn’t
able
to
free
the
guys
up
enough
to
understand
that
and
that’s
sort
of
a
challenge
for
me.
But
it
is
also
a
good
challenge
for
the
guys
as
well
that
they
need
to
push
the
envelope
of
their
own
thinking
as
well,”
McCullum
said.

The
head
coach,
however,
hopes
to
put
the
first
phase
behind
and
wants
his
side
to
go
out
there
and
enjoy
themselves
by
playing
with
freedom.

“Hopefully
we
will
be
able
to
strip
away
a
bit
of
the
angst
which
had
built
up
in
the
first
part
of
the
season,
just
go
out
there
and
try
and
enjoy
ourselves.
That’s
the
ambition
that
I
have
got
for
the
franchise
and
hence
why
I
am
unapologetic
and
unrelenting
in
my
belief
that
we
need
to
play
a
braver
style
of
play.”

IPL
2021:
Brendon
McCullum
hopeful
of
better
second
phase
for
Kolkata
Knight
Riders

“When
we
left
India
(after
IPL
was
called
off
due
to
Covid),
I
think
everyone
understood
me
as
a
coach
on
how
I
want
our
team
to
play.
I
am
unapologetic
about
that
as
well
because
my
job
is
to
try
and
build
something
at
KKR
that
is
going
to
last
far
longer
than
I
am
going
to
last
for
the
franchise,”
he
added.

KKR
started
their
second
phase
campaign
with
a
dominating
9-wicket
win
against
RCB
and
will
look
to
move
up
the
points
table
when
they
face
Mumbai
Indians
at
the
Sheikh
Zayed
Satdium
in
Abu
Dhabi
on
Thursday
(September
23).

(With
Agency
inputs)