Kolkata Knight Riders (KRR) have announced the appointment of Shreyas Iyer as their captain. The two-time former champions bought Shreyas Iyer in the recently-conducted 2022 IPL auction for a whopping sum of Rs 12.25 crore.
This will be the second time Shreyas Iyer will be captaining a side in the IPL after doing the same job for his former team Delhi Capitals from the mid-2018 season till 2020.
Kolkata Knight Riders Announce Shreyas Iyer As Skipper For IPL 2022
Once Kolkata Knight Riders succeeded in acquiring Shreyas Iyer’s services in the auction, it was a foregone conclusion that the right-handed batter would be made the captain of the side. The franchise defeated the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants to acquire the services of the white-ball maverick for a whopping INR 12.25 crore.
“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,” said Iyer in a statement released by KKR.
“I would like to thank the owners, management and support staff of KKR for giving me the opportunity to lead this team and 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!” added Iyer.
A shoulder injury and subsequent surgery last March meant Shreyas Iyer could not play the India leg of IPL 2021 and Delhi Capitals handed the captaincy to Rishabh Pant, who has since continued in the role. Shreyas Iyer, who led Delhi to runners-up finish in 2020, was not retained by the franchise during the retention period.
“I am very excited to have one of India’s brightest future leaders in Shreyas Iyer, take the reins at KKR. I’ve enjoyed Shreyas’ game and his captaincy skills from afar and now will look forward to working closely with him to drive forward the success and style of play we want at KKR,” said head coach Brendon McCullum.
The two-time IPL champions KKR retained Andre Russell for Rs. 12 crores, Varun Chakravarthy for Rs. 8 crores, Venkatesh Iyer for Rs. 8 crores, and Sunil Narine for Rs. 6 crores. KKR’s most expensive buy took place on Day 1, as they were able to bring on board Shreyas Iyer for ₹12.25 crore.
Shreyas Iyer Will Be the 6th Skipper Of Kolkata Knight Riders
Shreyas Iyer will be the sixth player to lead KKR after Sourav Ganguly (2008-10), Brendon McCullum (2009), Gautam Gambhir (2011-17), Dinesh Karthik (2018-20) and Eoin Morgan (2020-21).
“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,” said Venky Mysore, CEO & MD of KKR.
Sourav Ganguly was the first captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, followed by Gautam Gambhir. Gautam Gambhir, an influential leader, went on to lead Kolkata Knight Riders to two titles in the 2012 and 2014 seasons. Current head coach Brendon McCullum had also led the team in the past. Wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik was handed the responsibility for a couple of seasons too.
England’s 2019 World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan led the team last season and took the franchise to their third finals in the history of the tournament. While Dinesh Karthik was bought by RCB, Eoin Morgan went unsold in IPL 2022 auctions.