"GG gets the praise when they win, Shreyas gets the blame if they lose?" - Ian Bishop as fan credits Gautam Gambhir for KKR's turnaround in IPL 2024
Ian Bishop has been vocal about Shreyas Iyer's captaincy in IPL 2024. The former West Indies cricketer believes that Iyer has played a significant role in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)'s turnaround after they failed to qualify for playoffs in the last two seasons.
For the unversed, the Knight Riders are currently the table-toppers this season with eight wins in 11 games. They have almost booked their place in the playoffs.
Bishop believes that Iyer's captaincy has been ignored and all the credit goes to Gautam Gambhir, who rejoined KKR as mentor ahead of the 2024 season.
The cricketer-turned-commentator wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"Any love for Shreyas Iyer????"
Bishop pointed out how Iyer has gone from strength to strength as captain in the T20 extravaganza. The 56-year-old wrote:
"Shreyas became DC captain in 2018 when GG stepped down after DC lost 5 of first 6 gms. DC then finished the season winning 4 of next 8 games. 2019 DC 3rd, 2020 DC 2nd. 2021 injury & only 8gms so Pant captained. To KKR 2022, new franchise, 7th. Missed 2023. 2024,,,,"
He continued:
"So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG's fault to if they lose?"
Detailed conversation here:
As captain, Shreyas Iyer has 35 wins in 66 matches at a 43.93 success percentage. The 29-year-old has lost 29 games, while two ended in a tie. Under his captaincy, KKR finished seventh in IPL 2022 with six wins in 14 league games. He missed out on the 2023 season due to an injury.
As a batter, Iyer has scored 280 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 138.61, including a solitary half-century. As a result, he missed out on a place in India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.
Speaking of Gautam Gambhir, he led the Knight Riders to two IPL trophies in 2012 and 2014. The 42-year-old stepped down as Delhi Capitals captain in IPL 2018 when his team lost five out of the first six games. As a skipper, he has 79 wins in 121 matches at a 55.03 win percentage. He has the most wins as IPL captain after MS Dhoni (133 in 226) and Rohit Sharma (87 in 158).
Gambhir joined Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a mentor in 2022, who reached the playoffs in the first two seasons (2022 & 2023).
"We are losing tosses, but we are winning games that's what matters" - Shreyas Iyer as KKR beat LSG by 98 runs in IPL 2024 match
KKR captain Shreyas Iyer was delighted to continue their winning momentum despite losses in tosses in their last few games. He shared that players have been provided the freedom to play their natural game, which has yielded positive results.
He said in the post-match show (KKR vs LSG):
"We are losing tosses, but we are winning games that's what matters. We had a great start in the powerplay. A lefty-righty combination (Sunil Narine and Phil Salt) makes thing difficult for the opposition."
Iyer continued:
"It's all about the freedom, to go out and express themselves. We want to go out and be positive whatever the situation is, sometimes it doesn't work out but sometimes it does."
KKR will host Mumbai Indians (MI) in their next IPL game at Eden Gardens on May 11. They are eyeing their first trophy since Gambhir led to their second title in 2014.
Click here to check out the LSG vs KKR IPL 2024 match full scorecard.