From KKR to RCB: Venkatesh Iyer adjusts to new dynamics

Moving on from Kolkata Knight Riders meant stepping out of a familiar environment for Venkatesh Iyer. Now, in a new setup at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with a limited role and a long wait for opportunities, he has had to quickly adapt to different dynamics.

Having spent a significant period at KKR, the shift wasn't without its emotional weight. Yet, the acceptance of the churn that comes with the IPL is equally matter-of-fact.

"Being a professional, it's my duty to blend into whatever set up I am in," said Iyer. "I spent quite a lot of time at KKR, learnt a lot of things. I'd be lying if I say that I don't have any emotional connect to them. But yeah, as professional cricketers, you're signing up for this. Whenever you enter an auction, there's an opportunity for you to play for any team. In this case, I'm extremely happy that I'm playing for RCB because who doesn't want to? With the fans, with the atmosphere at Chinnaswamy, with the team, you get to share a dressing room with probably one of the greatest icons in sporting history. And with a dear friend in the captain as well. So I'm looking at it as an opportunity and it hasn't taken a lot of time for me to blend in."

If the move itself was straightforward to process, the role that followed has required a different kind of adjustment. Iyer has largely been on the sidelines, used only once as an Impact Player, a situation he admits is not entirely comfortable.

"Definitely it does (play on the mind). I'm not used to sitting out, but that's okay. This is a professional sport. This is a team environment. And as someone who places the team above everything else, it's my duty to adhere to the environment. Obviously, RCB is the champion side. We're defending champions. So to tinker with a combination that has won you a championship is not always the smartest move. So as someone who's walked into a team, it's my duty to first understand the dynamics of the team. And to know what role I can play. And sitting in the wings, sitting outside does not mean that I'm not a part of their plans. It's definitely a matter of when rather than if. I actually got one opportunity and I'm extremely delighted that I got to pad up for RCB. And I actually scored quite a bit. But as of now, I'm 100% backing the boys to do the job for the team."

Iyer added that conversations with the support staff have played a key role in helping him understand his place in the setup.

"And the credit for that has to go to Mo [Bobat], Andy [Flower] and DK [Dinesh Karthik]. They've been amazing when it comes to conversations about what my role in the team is. They've given me absolute clarity."

On working closely with Karthik, he elaborated on the nature of those interactions.

"DK is someone who believes in a lot of hard work. Because he's done that. He's done it over the years. So his coaching agenda is based on hard work, on hard preparation. I think it's important to understand that for him to be a batting coach and a mentor, to deal with a setup like RCB is very tough. You have someone who has achieved feats that no one can imagine. Someone like a Virat Kohli. And you have a fresher in the form of a Vihaan Malhotra walking into a setup. So DK has to take care of both of them and the overseas. So I think working with him, one thing I've understood is how to be flexible when it comes to your batting."

The conversation inevitably extends to the Impact Player rule, a regulation that has shaped both his opportunities and the broader tactical landscape of the league. His view, much like his situation, sits somewhere in the middle.

"I liked it when I was injured so I could bat. I really liked it. But a bit of yes and no. Impact player never stopped a Hardik [Pandya] or a [Andre] Russell or a [Sunil] Narine from bowling four overs. It's not stopping Nitish Reddy from bowling four overs. If you have the skill set and if a captain believes in you, then you will still be the all-rounder that your team wants. It does curtail the opportunity for the one and two over bowlers. And also, one thing that it does is, it simplifies captaincy on the field, is what I feel with the impact player. But again, it has made cricket more interesting. It has paved the way for more tactical thinking. So, I'm no one to recommend that. I'm no one to oppose it. But it would be great if the all-rounders who bowl one or two overs could get to bowl more."

Within the RCB setup, Iyer finds himself surrounded by contrasting personalities. In Rajat Patidar, he sees a captain whose strength lies in simplicity.

"You all must have heard how highly I speak of him. You all must be knowing that he deserves every bit of what's coming his way. But I see the biggest strength of Rajat Patidar is how simple he is. In terms of his thinking. In terms of how he carries himself. Also in terms of his batting. But at the end of the day, when you jot it down to how he does it, it's actually simplicity. How simple he keeps his batting. How simple he carries himself. And how simple he is in life. I think that fellow, I've not seen him change over the years. He's still the same old Rajat Patidar that I used to admire back in under-19 days."

If Patidar embodies calm, Virat Kohli represents intensity – and a standard that, according to Iyer, elevates everyone around him.

"First of all, he's an extremely down to earth person. Extremely humble. He's got that aura around him. Which never ceases to amaze people. You can count yourself extremely lucky to be in the same dressing room as him. Because the situations that you're gonna face or you have faced in life, that person has seen it 50 times more than you. So he knows how to deal with all situations. Not just with the game. But with fame, with money, with family. You see how he celebrates every wicket. You see him running. You never see him jogging on the field. He never jogs. He sprints from point A to point B. So I think Virat Kohli improves each and every individual in the team through his actions."