Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Shreyas Iyer as their new captain for IPL 2022. Iyer takes over the baton from Eoin Morgan, who was not retained by the franchise last season.
The Knight Riders acquired the service of the middle-order batsman at the IPL 2022 mega auction for a whooping ₹12.25 crore after an intense bidding war.. Iyer entered the auction with a reserve price of INR 2 crore.
Delhi Capitals started the initial bidding before Lucknow Super Giants entered the fray. Kolkata also joined the tug of war at around INR 6.5 crore before signing him. Shreyas Iyer was happy to be bestowed with the responsibility.
🚨 Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, say hello 👋 to the NEW SKIPPER of the #GalaxyOfKnights
অধিনায়ক #ShreyasIyer @ShreyasIyer15 #IPL2022 #KKR #AmiKKR #Cricket pic.twitter.com/veMfzRoPp2
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) February 16, 2022
Speaking on kkr.in, the 27-year-old cricketer 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.”
Shreyas added:
“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. 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!”
Shreyas Iyer had earlier captained Delhi Capitals in the past. He took over the duties midway in IPL 2018 and has led them in 41 games, winning 21 of those.
#GalaxyOfKnights 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝! 💜#KKR #AmiKKR #IPLAuction #TATAIPLAuction pic.twitter.com/yTOQ6VjmLN
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) February 13, 2022
The Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore was also happy to have Shreyas Iyer at the helm of things.
“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,” Mysore said.
Shreyas Iyer has overall featured in 87 matches and has amassed 2375 runs which include 16-half-centuries.