IPL 2022: Shreyas Iyer is a players' captain, says Irfan Pathan

Bengaluru, April 1: Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that Indian premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders' future is bright under the new leadership of Shreyas Iyer.

Iyer was appointed the captain of the KKR franchise just ahead of IPL 2022 and the Mumbaikar has impressed everyone with the way he has led the side so far.

KKR began their IPL 2022 campaign on a promising note, defeating defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the lung opener before suffering a reversal at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

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"Shreyas Iyer is a brilliant captain. Remember, he picked up captaincy midway through the season like Rohit Sharma who was named Mumbai Indians' captain halfway through the season in IPL 2013," said Pathan, during an episode of Cricket Live on Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL 2022.

Pathan dwelled further on Iyer's journey as a captain which he calls "remarkable".

"For Delhi Capitals, Shreyas started well under the supervision of coach Ricky Ponting and he kept improving his decision-making skills in his first stint as captain. But his captaincy moves are coming to the fore prominently in this season and we will talk more about it as the tournament progresses," Pathan added.

KKR are expected to continue with their risk-taking approach despite mixed returns when they on Punjab Kings in Mumbai on Friday (April 1).

KKR head into Friday's game at the back of a three-wicket loss against RCB though managed to make the game close after a below-par total.

Pathan believes Iyer has it in him to take KKR forward.

"He's a players' captain. He backs the players at every turn and which is a good sign of a leader," said Pathan.

KKR openers, Ajinkya Rahane and the attacking Venkatesh Iyer perished cheaply against RCB and the duo would be looking to provide a strong start to the team.

While skipper Iyer, who has been in good form despite the failure against RCB, would be an important cog in the wheel, but would need support from the likes of Nitish Rana. Apart from the duo, the responsibility in the middle order needs to be shouldered by Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson and the big-hitting Andre Russell.

Irfan Pathan is in awe of Shreyas Iyer's captaincy.

Pathan opined that KKR are destined for bigger things under Iyer's leadership.

"The future of Kolkata is bright under his supervision and we've seen glimpses of it in the first couple of games," Pathan added.

The KKR line-up has batters who can tear into any attack and the management would hope that they all fire in unison against Punjab.

On the bowling front, pacer Umesh Yadav was splendid in both the games with the new ball.

Experienced Kiwi bowler Tim Southee, who replaced Shivam Mavi and picked up three wickets, too has a key role to play upfront. The concern for Kolkata would be the form of spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who needs to hit the straps quickly.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings, who had began their campaign with a win, would be expecting a better bowling effort after conceding more than 200 runs in their first game.

The match at Wankhede Stadium starts at 7.30pm.