"Any love for Shreyas Iyer?" - Ian Bishop praises KKR skipper’s captaincy after IPL 2024 match vs LSG
Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop reserved high praise for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer after their 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday, May 5, at Ekana Stadium, Lucknow.
The home team invited KKR to bat first, a move that backfired. Phil Salt (32 off 14) and Sunil Narine stitched a 61-run stand in less than five overs to provide a terrific start to the visitors. Narine continued his blistering form to slam 81 off 39 balls while Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored 32 off 26.
In the end, skipper Iyer contributed 23 off 15 and Ramandeep Singh smoked 25* off six to propel KKR to a mammoth 235. It's now the highest-ever IPL score in an innings at this venue.
While defending the total, KKR's Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy showed discipline by taking three wickets each, while Andre Russell picked up two. As a result, LSG were all-out for 137.
Here's what Bishop tweeted after the completion of the game:
"Any love for Shreyas Iyer????
Most of the fans on Bishop's post commended Iyer's captaincy. They lauded his comeback after the Punjab Kings sealed the highest-ever T20 chase of 262 against the Kolkata-based franchise on April 26.
Ian Bishop earlier deleted tweet on Shreyas Iyer
The Kolkata Knight Riders have been terrific to secure three victories on the trot since the Punjab Kings game. They chased down 154 against the Delhi Capitals, defended 170 in an emphatic fashion against Mumbai, and prevailed by 98 runs over the Lucknow Super Giants.
Taking note of KKR's first victory against MI at Wankhede in 12 years, Bishop complimented Shreyas Iyer for securing a clinical win. With Wankhede having a flat surface and small boundaries, the average first-innings score at the venue is 170.
Here's what Bishop had posted in a now-deleted tweet:
"KKR lose, its all his fault. KKR win, the praise belongs to others."
The Knight Riders are now the table-toppers in the IPL 2024 with eight victories in 11 games. Although they have qualified for the playoffs, KKR would look to win a few more to cement their top-2 position and gain an advantage in the playoffs.