IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders hands over reins to Shreyas Iyer

Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday appointed India batter Shreyas Iyer as their new captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League after having bought him for a whopping Rs 12.25 crore at the recently-concluded mega auction.

Iyer, who had captained Delhi Capitals in their only IPL final back in 2020, was released after the 2021 season and it was an open secret that KKR, who were supposed to replace Eoin Morgan, were in need of a new captain.

The 27-year-old had triggered a bidding war between Delhi Capitals and the Knight Riders before the latter had the last laugh in the auction proceedings. Iyer, who had missed the first part of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury, had to relinquish Delhi Capital’s leadership role and the team’s captaincy was handed over to Rishabh Pant, who led the side for the entire season even after Iyer came back.

He will be the sixth cricketer to lead the franchise after Sourav Ganguly, McCullum, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan.

"He (Iyer) has impressed one & all as a quality batsman at the highest level and we are confident that he will excel as a leader of Team KKR," KKR CEO Venky Mysore said in a statement.

Iyer said he is looking forward to fulfilling the role. "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," Iyer said.

Head Coach Brendon McCullum said he is excited to have Iyer in the fold. "I have 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," McCullum said.