"I really enjoyed playing under him" - Shreyas Iyer rates KL Rahul as his favorite captain ahead of IPL 2022
Shreyas Iyer has named his India teammate KL Rahul as the favorite captain he has played under. The wicket-keeper batter will lead Luckow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL.
Iyer, the newly appointed KKR captain, played under Rahul in the three-match ODI series against South Africa earlier this year. The former Punjab Kings captain endured a rough start to captaincy, though, as Team India lost all three games.
The captains Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have joined their respective franchises ahead of IPL 2022.
Nevertheless, Iyer said about Rahul on Red Bull Cricket Room on Clubhouse:
"It was nice to play under him. Firstly, he is an outstanding player. The confidence he carries on the field and in the team meetings, the support that he provides to the players is great."
Noting that Rahul gave him a few overs to bowl as well in the ODI series, Iyer added:
"Also, he gave me three overs of bowling, which none of the captains previously had done. So yeah, he's my favorite captain!. He's got a very calm demeanor, and his on-field decision-making is very instinctive. I really enjoyed playing under him."
In the final ODI against the Proteas at Newlands, Team India went with a playing XI comprising five bowlers. Stand-in captain Rahul handed a short spell to his part-time option Iyer in the middle overs. The 26-year-old conceded 21 runs off the three overs he bowled.
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Shreyas Iyer returns to captaincy in IPL 2022
Shreyas Iyer lost his IPL captaincy at Delhi Capitals to Rishabh Pant. The middle-order batter missed the first leg of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury, prompting the franchise to explore alternative captaincy options.
The management chose to stick with Pant as IPL captain even after Iyer's return in the second leg. After not being among the retained players for the Capitals, Iyer was up for grabs at the IPL mega auction, where KKR roped him in for Rs 12.25 crore.
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The newly appointed captain will lead the two-time winners for the first time in the opening clash of IPL 2022. The IPL team is slated to face Chennai Super Kings on March 26 at the Wankhede Stadium.