Shreyas Iyer has been named the new captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the franchise announced ahead of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022).
Shreyas Iyer takes over from Eoin Morgan, under whom Kolkata Knight Riders had reached the IPL 2021 final, but lost to Chennai Super Kings. Eoin Morgan was released by KKR, who went unsold in the IPL 2022 Auction.
Shreyas Iyer was released by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction. Iyer was Knight Riders’ most expensive buy at the IPL 2022 auction last weekend – for Rs 12.25 crore and became their highest-paid player by overtaking Andre Russell’s salary of Rs 12 crore. Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals were also in the race for the Iyer in the IPL 2022 auction, but KKR managed to out-bid.
Making the announcement, Venky Mysore, CEO & MD of KKR 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.”
Head Coach Brendon McCullum said, “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.”
Accepting captaincy of KKR, Shreyas Iyer said, “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 and I am confident that we will find the right synergies to achieve the team’s goals,” he added.
“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 also added.