‘No doubt he’s got the potential to lead India one day’ – Alex Carey heaps praise on Shreyas Iyer
Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey has backed Shreyas Iyer to become the captain of the Indian team one day. The southpaw stated that his Delhi Capitals skipper's leadership and communication skills are ‘fantastic’.
The comments came after Shreyas Iyer recently guided the Capitals to their maiden IPL final. Although the 25-year-old couldn't take his team all the way, he has received a lot of accolades for helping DC make two consecutive playoffs – that too after a gap of 7 years.
“No doubt he’s got the potential to lead India one day. I think Shreyas is going to be a fantastic leader moving forward...His ability to connect with all the players in the group was fantastic. He took the focus off himself and worried more about the group. He’s been really successful for the last couple of seasons for Delhi,” Alex Carey said during a media interaction.
When Gautam Gambhir relinquished the captaincy midway through IPL 2018, DC (then Daredevils) elevated Shreyas Iyer to the coveted position, and the then-23-year-old didn’t disappoint. He smashed an unbeaten 40-ball 93 in his first match as skipper before finishing the season with 411 runs at an average of 37.36.
Shreyas Iyer took his performances up a notch as he lead by example in IPL 2020. Not only did DC become the last of the original 8 teams to play an IPL final, but Shreyas Iyer himself tallied his personal best season by racking up 519 runs at an average of 34.60.
‘Shreyas Iyer is a fantastic batsman and a great person as well,’ says Carey
Alex Carey stated that Shreyas Iyer’s leadership skills were visible in the way he connected with each member of the DC contingent while also forging a successful partnership with head coach Ricky Ponting.
“He’s still young and learning his crafts. He’s a fantastic batsman and a great person as well. To connect with every player in a big squad like Delhi is quite a tiring task but he was excellent in managing that. His positive attitude towards the game and his partnership with Ricky really worked well for us. The future is very bright for him,” Carey added.
Shreyas Iyer was the leading run-getter – 217 runs in 3 matches – in the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year, after scoring 153 runs at an average of 51 in the 5-match T20I series prior to that.
India are set to begin a 6-match limited-overs series against Australia on November 27, and Shreyas Iyer would look to better his performances against the Kiwis. He would want to make the critical No. 4 slot his own, if he hasn't already.