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The 16th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League is just a little over two weeks away now, and unfortunately for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), they might not have the services of their captain, Shreyas Iyer.
Iyer missed the opening game of the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a back injury, but all seemed good when he returned for the second game.
However, the issue returned during the final game in Ahmedabad, and he didn't even come out to bat during India's innings. Post-game, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma didn't sound too optimistic about Shreyas Iyer's condition either, which has got the cricketing community talking.
If Iyer is indeed ruled out of the IPL, KKR will have to appoint a new leader. Here, we look at three players from the Knights' squad who could step in for Iyer.
#1 Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan is one of the best all-rounders in the world and has the most experience in terms of captaincy of all the members of the team.
Shakib is currently the skipper of Bangladesh's Test and T20I sides and only recently led his country to a whitewash of world champions England in a three-match T20 series.
The Bangladesh veteran has also been a part of KKR's IPL winning campaigns in 2012 and 2014, which could make him a favorite for the job.
#2 Nitish Rana
Nitish Rana, who has appeared in 91 IPL games, could also be a contender for the leadership role. Rana has a bit of captaincy experience, having led his domestic side, Delhi, on a few occasions.
Rana had a good season in 2022, scoring 361 runs at a healthy strike rate of 143.82. Rana has also been a crucial member of the Knight Riders' team over the last few years, which could work in his favor.
#3 Tim Southee
Tim Southee is currently serving as the captain of New Zealand's Test team, and he too could be considered for the top role. In the previous year's edition, Southee had claimed 14 wickets in 9 games at an average of 19.64 for KKR.
His recent form has also been pretty good, and he has led his country commendably in the recent past, which could work in his favor.
