'Captaincy comes naturally to him': Ravi Shastri heaps praise on KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer has led KKR to 3 wins in 6 matches so far. | Photo - IPL |
Team India star Shreyas Iyer has been enjoying a great start to his stint as the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Iyer, who led Delhi Capitals to their first-ever final in IPL 2020, was released by the franchise ahead of the mega auction this year.
Iyer was roped in by KKR for a sum of Rs 12.25 crore (Rs 122.5 million) at the mega auction and was subsequently appointed as their new captain ahead of the ongoing season. Iyer might be one of the youngest captains in the league at present but has significant experience behind his back when it comes to leading an IPL team.
Recently, former India head coach Ravi Shastri lavished praise on the KKR skipper and said captaincy comes naturally to the 27-year-old, who he feels has been clear in his thoughts as captain and has not made it feel like he is leading KKR for the first time in his career.
"Captaincy comes naturally to him. Look at his aggressive captaincy; you don't feel like he's leading KKR for the first time. It looks like he's been captaining them for the last 3 to 4 seasons and it is visible through his clarity of thoughts," Shastri said while speaking on Star Sports.
"His mindset is clear about what brand of cricket he needs to play as a batter. At the same time, he's aware of what he, as a captain, needs to do to take his team to the playoffs and win the title," he added.
Under their new skipper, KKR kicked off their IPL 2022 campaign with a win against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in their season-opener before slipping to a defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next game. KKR have since managed two wins in their last four matches and are currently placed at the sixth place on the table with six points from as many matches.
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Shastri has high hopes for Iyer as captain and believes he has the potential to go a long way with KKR. Iyer will be looking to help his side get back to winning ways when KKR take on Rajasthan Royals in their seventh game of the season at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Monday (April 18).
"I've liked the way he's spoken during the pre and post-match conferences; that shows he's clear with his plans. I am convinced he'll go a long way," said Shastri as he lauded Iyer.