[WATCH] “It is jol” - Shreyas Iyer gives Bangla lessons to KKR admin
Shreyas Iyer is seen correcting the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) admin’s Bangla pronunciation in a video shared on the franchise’s Twitter handle on Saturday.
27-year-old Shreyas will be leading the Kolkata franchise during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition. He was purchased by KKR at the mega auction for ₹12.25 crore and subsequently named skipper.
In a clip shared on Twitter, the franchise’s admin is seen handing over a cup of water to the captain. While giving Shreyas the same, he comments:
“Jal lijiye, thak gaye honge (have water, you must be tired).”
The batter responds and tells him:
“Jol. It is jol (water in Bengali language).”
Shreyas Iyer had earlier captained Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL. Under him, the franchise reached their maiden final in the T20 league during the 2020 edition. However, the cricketer suffered a severe shoulder injury ahead of IPL 2021.
Rishabh Pant was named Delhi captain in his absence and the franchise stuck to the left-hander as leader even after Iyer was available for the second half of the tournament.
“Super excited” - Shreyas Iyer gearing up for IPL 2022
In a video released by KKR’s Twitter handle on Friday, Shreyas stated that he is super excited to lead the franchise and build a camaraderie with his new teammates. He said:
"I love you very much, Kolkata. Your captain is ready. Super excited! I have been waiting for this day for very long. Now that I'm here, can't wait to get started after three days of quarantine. To be honest, KKR has put in that faith right from the first year. So, it's a great opportunity for me to get this (captaincy) role and I'm super excited. I'm looking forward to gelling with the boys and building that camaraderie."
The in-form batter added that KKR will need to keep improving as the season goes along, taking things step-by-step. Shreyas Iyer elaborated:
"We just have to go and enjoy it and keep elevating through our standards. We need to set a standard and see to it that we achieve it and go beyond it. It's going to be a long process, not a short process, and we need to take it step-by-step. We need to be in the moment and not think beyond or think about the past, and try to enjoy and build that culture around the players.”
Shreyas also unveiled the franchise’s new jersey for the IPL 2022 season on Friday. KKR will begin their campaign by taking on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 26 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.