"Having a captain like him means there is no pressure" - Andre Russell on Shreyas Iyer ahead of IPL 2022 opener vs CSK

Star Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell has showered praise on his captain Shreyas Iyer, calling him a superstar ahead of IPL 2022 opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

The Kolkata franchise acquired Iyer's services for a whopping ₹12.5 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction last month. He was subsequently appointed as the captain of the two-time IPL champions.

Still early days with the squad, Iyer has had a calming influence on the squad, which reflects in Russell's voice.

Speaking ahead of the game, Andre Russell said:

"This squad that we've got here is the balanced one, everyone knows their roles. When you have a team like this, the most important thing to have is the captain. Shreyas is a superstar, he boasts confidence. Having a captain like him means there is no pressure, he's always humble and relaxed."

Incidentally, Iyer had earlier led the Delhi Capitals in the IPL. However, Rishabh Pant was appointed as the captain last season when Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to an injury.

The 27-year-old returned to the side during the second half of IPL 2021 but the management had full trust in Pant. The Delhi franchise eventually retained him ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction as their captain, leaving out Iyer.

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"Hopefully I can give what the fans are looking for" - Andre Russell

The 33-year-old all-rounder from Jamaica, who had a mixed outing last season, is all set to live up to the expectations of fans.

Russell said:

"Can't wait to get started, yes, it all came so quickly, arrival, the quarantine, everything happened. I'm happy that I'm here. I'm definitely going to try and make up for whatever I missed in that final. I'm looking forward to a great game tonight. Hopefully I can give what the fans are looking for."

Speaking of the game, Chennai Super Kings lost their star opener Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first over after Shreyas Iyer asked the defending champions to bat first.

The Chennai franchise are currently at 3/1 at the end of the first over.