IPL 2022: Ravi Shastri terms Shreyas Iyer as natural skipper

Shreyas Iyer is off to an average start as skipper for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022. Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri has termed him as a natural skipper.

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It has been an average start for Shreyas Iyer as skipper for former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). KKR is currently placed sixth after six matches, having won and lost three each. Meanwhile, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has termed him a natural leader.

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Iyer was previously with Delhi Capitals (DC), where he led the side for a couple of seasons and even propelled it to the final in IPL 2020, where it lost to Mumbai Indians (MI). However, before IPL 2021, he got injured and was replaced by Rishabh Pant. Since then, the DC management decided to stick with the latter, as Iyer agreed to part ways.

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Speaking on Iyer's captaincy, Shastri told Star Sports, "Captaincy comes naturally to Shreyas. Look at his aggressive captaincy. You don't feel like he's leading KKR for the first time. It looks like he's been captaining them for the last 3 to 4 seasons, and it is visible through his clarity of thoughts."

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"His mindset is clear about what brand of cricket he needs to play as a batter. At the same time, he's aware of what he, as a captain, needs to do to take his team to the playoffs and win the title. I've liked the way he's spoken during the pre and post-match conferences, which shows he's clear with his plans. I am convinced he'll go a long way," added Shastri.

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Also, former Windies cricketer Ian Bishop backed Shastri about Iyer. He feels that Iyer possesses good captaincy brains and knows how to bounce back, especially after KKR has suffered straight defeats in the last couple of matches. He recalled that Iyer got better as the skipper with each passing season, giving the glimpse of former KKR title-winning skipper Gautam Gambhir.

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"It will take him a short settling period here [with KKR], but he's got some seasoned campaigners. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are experienced players. Coach Brendon McCullum is also very experienced. So, I do not doubt that Shreyas will get the guys going," concluded Bishop. Iyer was roped in by KKR during the IPL 2022 Mega Auction for ₹12.25 crore and was announced the new KKR captain, replacing Eoin Morgan.