NEW DELHI: After seeing Venkatesh Iyer's all-round show in the just-concluded T20I series against West Indies, former India opener Wasim Jaffer said that the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) all-rounder is ahead of Hardik Pandya for the T20 World Cup consideration at this moment.
Iyer played a crucial unbeaten knock of 35 off 19 balls in the third and final T20I against West Indies at the Eden Gardens. The 27-year-old finished the series as the fourth-highest run-getter with 92 runs from three matches and took two wickets as well.
"After this series, I feel Iyer is a little bit ahead because you don't know Hardik Pandya whether he's bowling now or how fit he is. Obviously how the IPL goes for Hardik Pandya will play a very key role but at this point of time, Venkatesh Iyer is ahead of Hardik Pandya," Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo.
"I am surprised with how good he's playing as a No. 6 batter. We have seen him as an opener but for him to come out and get adapted so well at No. 6 and finish games is outstanding. Plus, the way he's bowled as well, got a couple of important wickets. He definitely gives [India] an edge going into the World Cup," Jaffer said.
India head coach Rahul Dravid too was pleased with Iyer's performance in this series.
1/9:India win series 3-0
<p>India beat West Indies by 17 runs in the third and final Twenty20 international thanks to a brilliant innings by Suryakumar Yadav at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Sunday to win the series 3-0. (PTI Photo)</p>
2/9:Winless Windies
<p>West Indies will fly home without a single victory on the tour having also lost the one-day international series 0-3. (ANI Photo)</p>
3/9:Match-saving knock
<p>Yadav (65) walked in with India in dire straits at 66/3 at the halfway mark and he went after the bowling, smashing seven sixes -- including three in the final over -- to guide India to a competitive total of 184/5. (PTI Photo)</p>
4/9:Pooran powers Windies
<p>West Indies lost wickets cheaply at regular intervals before wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran nearly silenced the sparse crowd with his knock of 61. (ANI Photo)</p>
5/9:Pooran and Shepherd
<p>Pooran and Romario Shepherd (29) scored in boundaries to give India captain Rohit Sharma cause for concern before Pooran skied a swirling catch to Ishan Kishan and Harshal Patel (3/22) cleaned up the middle order as the tourists fell short. (ANI Photo)</p>
6/9:Ishan shines
<p>India were put into bat and Rohit sent Ruturaj Gaikwad in to open in his place. But he fell cheaply in the third over to Jason Holder before Ishan Kishan (34) and Shreyas Iyer (25) shared a 53-run partnership. (AP Photo)</p>
7/9:Failure for Rohit
<p>Rohit, who came in at number four, failed to get going before his frustration spilled over and he was bowled when he went down the track trying to attack Dominic Drakes. (PTI Photo)</p>
8/9:Yadav and Iyer
<p>But Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer (35 not out) plundered 86 runs in the last five overs before the former fell to a catch in the deep off the final delivery of the innings. (AFP Photo)</p>
9/9:Champions
<p>Yadav was named player of the match and the series. (ANI Photo)</p>"I know he (Iyer) plays a different role (opener) for his IPL franchise but we're very clear with what is the kind of role that we see him filling in our situation? Obviously, our top three isn't really a spot, because these guys have established and have been performing very well in the top three," Dravid said after the third T20I win on Sunday.
"So we challenged him, we gave him the role to be able to bat in that position. Every time he's improved, he's gotten better. That's really pleasing," he added.
