Kolkata, Dec 2 (IANS): India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has attributed his success and India call up to the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), saying the team has played a vital role and introduced him to the world of cricket.

Happy to be back on the KKR side after being retained by the franchise for next year's IPL, Iyer said, "The franchise has played a very vital role in me adorning the blues. I am looking forward to playing at Eden Gardens, it's always special to be there and to play in front of a packed crowd."

Apart from Iyer, KKR has retained Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Varun Chakravarthy for the upcoming IPL. Venkatesh Iyer was in great form during the second-leg of the IPL in UAE and Oman and gave the team many blazing starts. He played 10 matches in the tournament and smashed 370 runs at an average of 41.11, and a strike rate of close to 130.

KKR head coach Brendon McCullum was mesmerised to see the incredible journey of Iyer during the IPL.

"Venkatesh Iyer has been quite an incredible story. For him, it was just a matter of bringing the game that he owns. He might not be that consistent because of his flamboyance. I hope he remains the Venkatesh Iyer we've seen so far. He was a big catalyst for our turnaround this season," he said.

Meanwhile, spinner Varun Chakravarthy also thanked the franchise for retaining him ahead of the mega auction of the upcoming season.

Speaking on player retention, Venky Mysore MD and CEO, KKR said, "We are really pleased retaining Sunil, Andre, Varun and Venkatesh, they are truly special and will form a good nucleus for us to build on for the next three seasons ahead."