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Kolkata Knight Riders appoint Shreyas Iyer as new captain

Iyer will be the franchise's sixth captain since its inception.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Shreyas Iyer as their new captain. KKR bought the top-order batsman for a whopping INR 12.25 crore in the IPL 2022 mega auction that took place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. 

Iyer will be the franchise’s sixth captain since its inception. The Kolkata-based team made the announcement of this news on Wednesday through its official social media handles. They shared an image with a caption that said,“🚨 Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, say hello 👋 to the NEW SKIPPER of the #GalaxyOfKnights

After getting released by Delhi Capitals (DC), Iyer was one of the favourites in the IPL mega auction. Iyer was in the marquee set of the auction with a base price of INR 2 crore. The bidding for the player was commenced by DC. The Knight Riders were indulged in an intense bidding war with Delhi and the new franchise, Gujarat Titans. In the end, the Shahrukh Khan-backed team managed to outbid the other two sides and got Iyer on board. After releasing Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan ahead of the mega auction, Kolkata was seeking a captain. With the addition of the 27-year-old to their team, KKR have found a talented player who also has experience in leading an IPL team. 

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.

“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!”

Venky Mysore, CEO & MD of KKR 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 Team KKR. 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.”

KKR’s Head Coach, Brendon McCullum said, “I am very excited to have one of India’s brightest future leaders in Shreyas Iyer, take the reins at KKR. I’ve enjoyed Shreyas’ game and his captaincy skills from afar and now will look forward to working closely with him to drive forward the success and style of play we want at KKR.” 

After having a below-par phase 1 of IPL 2021, KKR made a significant comeback in the second phase and acquired a spot in the final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The Knight Riders fell short in the final frontier of the season by 27 runs. The two-time IPL champions will aim to go a step further in the upcoming edition and clinch the prestigious trophy for the third time.

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