Former Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Shreyas Iyer, who played a match-winning knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has opened up on playing under Rishabh Pant. Incidentally, the Capitals made a great start to their campaign in the UAE beating the Sunrisers by 8 wickets to go on top of the points table.
Meanwhile, with Shreyas Iyer ruled out for the entire IPL with a dislocated shoulder earlier this year, the management handed young Rishabh Pant the leadership baton. The wicket-keeper did exceedingly well to win six matches from eight outings to be on top of the points table before the tournament came to an abrupt end due to the COVID-19 scare.
Safari Super Striker of the Match between @DelhiCapitals and @SunRisers is Rishabh Pant.@TataMotors #SafariSuperStriker #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/J2xB08xnZR
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) September 22, 2021
The DC management decided to stick with Pant as captain despite Iyer’s return to the scheme of things. Addressing a post-match press conference, Shreyas Iyer finally broke his silence on the captaincy conundrum. He said:
“When I got the captaincy, I was in a different frame of mind. My decision-making and temperament level was really good. It really helped in the last two years. But obviously, this is part of the decision-making from the franchise. I respect the decision they have made to continue with him (Pant) as captain.”
“He is leading really well” – Shreyas Iyer on Rishabh Pant
Shreyas Iyer further showered praise on captain Rishabh Pant, who has led the side outstandingly. With no additional pressure, the 26-year-old stressed that he is focusing more on his batting now.
“As for Rishabh Pant, he is leading really well from the start of the season. That’s why the decision-makers took the call to let him continue till the end of the season. I completely respect it. There is no drastic change as such and it isn’t like I am focusing even more than before on my batting. As captain, I like to soak in the pressure. With pressure comes challenges, and my mindset is such that I perform well in pressure situations,” Shreyas Iyer added.
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