After working with Rcky Ponting at Delhi Capitals, Shreyas Iyer said he was looking forward to working with Brendon McCullum at the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, calling him an “aggressive manager”.
Shreyas Iyer was named captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2022. He was bought by the two-time champions for Rs 12.5 crore when they bought big at the mega auction on Iyer after releasing Eoin Morgan who took them to the finals last season.
Iyer, who had led Delhi Capitals to their first IPL final of 2020, was not held by Delhi ahead of the mega auction. Iyer had a good working relationship with Ponting as the duo successfully transformed the Delhi side that made the playoffs in two consecutive years.
Having enjoyed success as a captain in the IPL, Iyer said he looks forward to building on the legacy of KKR, which won the title in 2012 and 2014 under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy.
“You know, for me it’s a tremendous feeling to be part of the KKR family. I really want to appreciate the work that all the great players have done in the past and I want to follow in the same footsteps that they created for KKR,” Iyer said in an interview with the franchise.
“Brendon McCullum as a manager I think is very aggressive. Even when you saw him playing for his country (New Zealand), he was someone who was very aggressive and risk-taking.
“And I absolutely love that. Obviously I had very few interactions with him after the auction. He has this calm demeanor and I’m really looking forward to working with him and having some very successful seasons for KKR over the years.”
WATCH: Shreyas Iyer’s first interview as KKR captain https://t.co/P9zJjeWkDq
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) February 28, 2022
My heart was pumping: IYER
Iyer was ready to start a bidding war and he started one as Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans also tried to get the star-batter. KKR eventually bought the player with a winning bid of Rs 12.25 crore.
Iyer said he watched the IPL 2022 auction with the Indian team-mates on TV as he was part of the squad for the home series against the West Indies.
“I watched the auction and KKR chose me from the start. Some other big franchises came along as well and I remember the battle was on. We, all of our team members, sat together and continued to watch the auction on television,” Iyer said.
“My heart was pumping and I couldn’t control my emotions. I tried to act relaxed, but you know, andar hi andar se (inside), I was a little nervous. Eventually KKR got me, This feeling was amazing. I’m really proud given the rich history and coming into the KKR setup.
