"He may need to work on his coin tossing in the off-season" - Mitchell Starc on Shreyas Iyer's toss record
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mitchell Starc hailed Shreyas Iyer's captaincy following the franchise's 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) triumph recently. However, the left-arm seamer also jokingly suggested that Iyer look to improve his toss record during the off-season.
Iyer's captaincy was lauded throughout the IPL as he led KKR to not only their third IPL title but also to one of the most dominant IPL campaigns in history. The batter had to miss the 2023 edition completely due to injury but made a huge statement after coming into the 2024 season under difficult circumstances.
Iyer had Gautam Gambhir and Chandrakant Pandit's assurance off the field, but it was the manner with which he used Andre Russell and his tactical brilliance that gave KKR its near-invincible sheen.
"To see him go about his captaincy has been fantastic. He's pretty level-headed, pretty calm even when things have not gone our way. He may need to work on his coin tossing in the off-season," Starc said in a post released by KKR.
Mitchell Starc will be seen in action during the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup for Australia. The left-arm seamer heads into the tournament with some good form under his belt. He did not have the best of starts to the IPL season but justified his price tag with a couple of unforgettable displays in the knockout stages.
Shreyas Iyer tried various antics at the toss with the coin during IPL 2024
Shreyas Iyer lost the toss in all of the three matches that KKR lost during the season, and also in the Qualifier 1 and the Final. The skipper tried kissing the coin, and turning around while flipping the coin in the air, but none of those tactics worked.
“The last 6 matches in the dressing room there has been havoc, teammates are coming in and asking skip what's happening, we are losing tosses, but we are winning games that's what matters," Iyer had said midway through the season.
Iyer's overall toss record as captain in the IPL is fairly alright as he has won 36 tosses in 70 attempts, but his numbers in the 2024 season were poor, as Starc implied.