Kolkata Knight Riders appoint Shreyas Iyer as captain ahead of IPL 2022

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed their star recruit Shreyas Iyer as the new captain for next season's Indian Premier League (IPL).

Iyer was roped in at the IPL 2022 mega auction for a whooping ₹12.25 crore after an intense bidding war.

A couple of teams, including his former franchise Delhi Capitals, were in the race to avail his services, but KKR left everyone behind to sign the India international.

Reacting to the news, the 27-year-old cricketer from Mumbai expressed his gratitude and stated that he was looking forward to leading the side.

In a statement released by KKR, Shreyas Iyer 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."

He 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 is not new to the captaincy, having led the Delhi Capitals after Gautam Gambhir relinquished his leadership duties midway through IPL 2018.

Overall, he captained the Capitals in 41 matches, winning 21 of those with a win percentage of 53.65.

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"We are confident that he will excel as a leader" - Venky Mysore on Shreyas Iyer

Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore was ecstatic to have Iyer on board and was confident that he will take the team to newer heights. He said:

"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."

Shreyas Iyer brings in the much-needed experience on the table, having played 87 matches in the cash-rich league. He has amassed 2375 runs which includes 16-half-centuries.

Iyer will look to replicate his form in the KKR jersey as the franchise aims for its first title since 2014.