Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Eoin Morgan lavished praise on young opener Venkatesh Iyer, who scored a 30-ball 53 in the team’s seven-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

In reply to MI’s 155-6, KKR’s opening pair of Shubman Gill (13) and Iyer reached a quickfire 40-run opening stand in the first three overs of the Powerplay. Even after Gill’s departure Iyer showcased the same intent, putting on an 88-run stand with one-drop Rahul Tripathi (74 not out, 8x4, 3x6).