Venkatesh Iyer signs for Lancashire for a five-week period; will return to partake in Duleep Trophy
Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has signed with the English County side Lancashire following his stellar 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He played a stellar role in the franchise securing their third title, and will now turn up in England to partake in the One-Day Cup and the County Championship.
Iyer has signed a five-week contract in a bid to return in time for the Duleep Trophy, scheduled to be held in September. He hopes to make an impression through his County stint and in the domestic circuit, in a bid to make a comeback into the Indian squad. His last appearance in national colors came in the home T20I series against Sri Lanka in early 2022.
Indian players joining county sides in the domestic off-season has been a regular sight now, with it being the sole overseas avenue for players. Recently, Ajinkya Rahane signed for Leicestershire and even made a strong start with a sparkling fifty.
"I am incredibly excited to head over to England and to have the opportunity to play county cricket for the first time in my career. Lancashire is a very historic county with a long history of welcoming Indian players to their club. I am looking forward to emulating the likes of Farokh Engineer, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and most recently, Washington Sundar in wearing the Red Rose colours at Emirates Old Trafford,” Venkatesh stated in a statement released by Lancashire cricket.
“To test my skills in both one-day and first-class cricket in English conditions is going to really benefit my game. I hope that I can entertain the fans and help my Lancashire teammates to achieve their targets in both formats this summer,' he added.
The Keaton Jennings-led sie recently lost to Durham to begin their One-Day Cup campaign. The red-ball side are placed seventh in the County Championship side, and Iyer will avail the opportunity to rub shoulders along with the likes of James Anderson, who has expressed an interest to continue with his first-class career after his international retirement.
"Venkatesh Iyer will add experience to a young side" - Lancashire Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton
One of the major aspects that Venkatesh Iyer can look forward to in the county stint is consistent bowling. With the impact rule in place in the IPL, he could not avail an opportunity to bowl, barring one over against the Delhi Capitals (DC), where he went for 28 runs.
“Venkatesh will add experience to a young side during the One-Day Cup, whilst providing an explosive batting option in the middle-order and another seam bowler that we can turn to with the ball,” Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton said.
Lancashire's next contest is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 28 against Kent.