Watch: Venkatesh Iyer stuns fans by choosing Ajinkya Rahane over Shubman Gill in this category

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has surprised one and all with his choice to pick his batting partner between his former KKR teammates. Iyer was given the choice to pick between the former KKR stars Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane, and his selection was a bit shocking.

Iyer shared the KKR dressing room with Gill between the 2018 and 2021 seasons, but the Punjab lad’s dip in form led to his ouster from the franchise in 2022. KKR retained a multidimensional Iyer over the struggling batter Gill, and he eventually went to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2022 mega auction.

Venkatesh Iyer picks Ajinkya Rahane over Shubman Gill as ideal batting partner in surprising choice

The Indian vice-captain is now the captain of the Gujrat Titans (GT) in the IPL. On the other hand, Rahane was part of the KKR team only in the IPL 2022 and rarely got the opportunity to bat with Iyer. Despite this, Iyer picked Rahane over Gill as his batting partner, hinting at the past cold war at KKR.

Actually, the KKR all-rounder was recently offered a glimpse into his personal preferences and interests, giving fans a fun and insightful look at his life off the field during a candid Q&A session on Sportskeeda. Iyer said that he would choose Rahane as his ideal batting partner over Gill.

Well, when it comes to attire, Iyer is a fan of the classic T-shirt over a shirt, while he prefers making a phone call rather than sending a text message, valuing the personal touch of voice communication. When asked about his favorite football, Iyer’s choice is clear: he admires Sunil Chhetri, India's iconic striker, over the global giants Messi and Ronaldo.

Meanwhile, Iyer picked England’s legendary batter Joe Root over New Zealand star Kane Williamson as the best batter between them. If given a choice between Rajinikanth movies, he opts for "Shivaji" over "Kabali," while saying he is a fan of legendary Sourav Ganguly, overlooking Yuvraj Singh.

Venkatesh Iyer flexible to bat at any position

On being asked whom he would face between Shaheen Shah Afridi and Jofra Archer, the KKR all-rounder expressed his respect for the Pakistani fast bowler. In terms of kit preferences, he would love playing in traditional whites rather than colored kits. As for investments, he prefers direct stocks over mutual funds.

Whether opening the innings or batting in the middle order, Iyer is flexible and comfortable in either role. His favorite cricket shot is the cover drive, and when it comes to food, the KKR star leans towards Uttapam over Dosa and filters coffee over cappuccino. Iyer prefers the magic of night over the day and loves to spend time in the gym.

He picked running catches over diving ones as his favorite ones. He also mentioned that he would love to pursue an MBA before possibly working in the big four accounting firms. Notably, the India allrounder recently joined Lancashire for the ongoing One-Day Cup and two rounds of the County Championship, and he is likely to make his debut against Kent on July 28.

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