Shreyash Iyer appointed as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ new captain

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named Shreyas Iyer as their new captain for the upcoming IPL season. Iyer was the most expensive purchase of Knight Riders in the IPL 2022 auction last weekend – INR 12.25 crore (approx 1.63 million USD). Earlier, KKR’s highest-paid player was Andre Russell – INR 12 crore (approximately 1.6 million USD).

Announcing Iyer’s name as captain, Kolkata chief executive and managing director Venki Mysore said that they were delighted to be able to successfully buy Shreyas at the IPL auction and give him a chance to lead KKR. He has also impressed them as a batsman with a high caliber. They believe he will do well for the team.

Iyer has had considerable success as a captain in the IPL. He led his last franchise Delhi Capitals to two consecutive playoffs in 2019 (Eliminator) and 2020 (Final). He led the team from the Indian capital state for 2018 to 2021.

A shoulder injury during the home series against England earlier last year knocked him out of IPL 2021. But the IPL was postponed in May due to the rising rate of Covid-19 cases in India. The Capitals management then appointed Rishabh Pant as captain instead of Iyer and when Iyer returned to the squad for the second leg in the UAE, the management decided to keep Rishabh Pant as captain there again.

After getting appointed as the captain, Iyer said he was honored to have the opportunity to lead a well-known team like Kolkata, and the IPL is a tournament that brings together the best players from around the world. He is looking forward to leading a team full of great talent. He thanked the franchise owner, team management, and support staff for giving him this opportunity.

Overall, Iyer has led a team in the IPL for 41 matches, of which he has won 21, lost 18, and tied two.