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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stuck to their plans and worked it out in possibly the last mega auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to fetch prolific India batter Shreyas Iyer at a sum of Rs. 12.25 crore. It was a deal-breaker for the two-time IPL champions considering that the franchise were looking for a long-term investment in a player who can not only score runs but also lead the side. And, Iyer, ticked the right boxes for the franchise with plenty of room for improvement in his journey as cricketer and captain.
Now consider this: when Iyer took over captaincy for Delhi Capitals, in 2018, he was the youngest to lead the capital franchise in the lucrative tournament. It showed the faith that the franchise had in the youngster and he repaid the dividends, in no time, by leading the side to their first IPL playoffs in seven years during the 2019 season. In fact, his stature as a captain, only grew as he led the Delhi Capitals to their first-ever final in the succeeding season.
Venky Mysore -- CEO and managing director of the franchise -- who is also one of the masterminds behind the buying of players to set up the squad will expect Iyer to deliver in the same manner for the new franchise. It can, also, hardly be argued that the Mumbai-batter will be eager to repay the dividends and prove his worth.
Learnt from the best
Iyer led Delhi Capitals to 41 matches, recording 21 wins, 18 losses and two ties, between 2018-2019. His winning percentage stands at a reliable 53.65.
That being said, his conversations with former India captain Sourav Ganguly and ex-Australia captain Ricky Ponting, has helped him develop his leadership skills in the formative years. In fact, the captain of Australia during its golden era, once remarked him as an infectious enigma who can lift the morale and spirit of the franchise at any situation.
A similar approach will be required for the rejuvenated KKR set-up from the upcoming season and there is no or little doubt that Iyer can be relied on for the same.
Believes in building the franchise
In fact, the right-handed batter, himself, highlighted that creating an atmosphere where the franchise can work towards one goal will be at the top of his agenda for KKR. He would be, additionally, far more mature in his approach through his experience over the years.
"I would be coming in with a much different mindset now. I'm now more mature and experienced in terms of my decision making and captaincy skills," Iyer told kkr.in.
"Really waiting eagerly to work with every individual in the team, and build that synergy which could really help the team perform at a different level. I'm just going to love the responsibility, and I thrive under pressure," he added.
Leads by example
It is also notable that Iyer remains unperturbed by the captaincy tag and rather loves to lead by example. His prolific run in IPL 2019, where he scored 463 runs at an average of 30.86, after being retained as captain and 519 runs in the succeeding season, is a testament to that.
KKR can also expect a brilliant season from Iyer in 2022 as he has maintained the purple patch throughout the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka where he notched up three consecutive half-centuries to become the highest run-scorer for the side.
And with all bases cover, the Kolkata franchise, will be expected to end their title drought since 2014 under the reign of Iyer.
