On Wednesday, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appointed Shreyas Iyer as the captain ahead of the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Mumbaikar was roped in for a sum of INR 12.25 crores by the two-time champions in the recently-concluded mega auction held in Bengaluru.
Notably, Iyer has previously captained the Delhi Capitals (DC) and led the franchise to their maiden IPL final in the 2020 season. But due to an injury, the right-handed batter missed the initial phase of the 2021 edition, which saw Rishabh Pant standing in as leader of DC.
Iyer made his comeback for the UAE leg, but DC continued with Pant as captain. Iyer was then not retained by the franchise, which led him to come into an auction where KKR picked him. The 27-year-old will replace Eoin Morgan, who led KKR to the final in IPL 2021.
Venky Mysore, the CEO & MD of Knight Riders, made the announcement and said: “We are delighted firstly to have been able to successfully bid for Shreyas in the IPL auction & to have the opportunity for him to lead #TeamKKR. He has impressed one & all as a quality batsman at the highest level & we are confident that he will excel as a leader of #TeamKKR.”
After being appointed as the skipper of KKR, Iyer stated that he was honoured to receive the responsibility before expressing his gratitude to the team owners, management and the support staff.
“I am extremely honoured to have gotten the opportunity to lead a prestigious team like KKR. The IPL as a tournament brings the best players from different countries and cultures together, and I look forward to leading this great group of very talented individuals. I would like to thank the owners, management and support staff of KKR for giving me the opportunity to lead this team,” said Iyer, as quoted by NDTV.
“I am confident that we will find the right synergies to achieve the team’s goals. Kolkata and The Eden Gardens have a very rich history when it comes to Indian cricket, and I look forward to contributing to this rich history and making our fans proud of us as a team! Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo!,” he added.
