The Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Shreyas Iyer, were the first team to earn a spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs. The two-time winners will also be finishing as the league leaders in the lucrative event for the first time. Having won nine of their 13 games thus far, KKR has excelled both at bat and in the bowl. Acknowledging their outstanding performance thus far this season, former cricketer AB de Villiers praised captain Iyer and highlighted the qualities that the Mumbai-born player possesses.
Shreyas Iyer, according to De Villiers, is a “smart cricketer” who manages pressure well, which has greatly benefited KKR in the lucrative league. In the competition, the 29-year-old bowler displayed remarkable versatility as he used Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy in the powerplay when needed. In addition, he showed no qualms about giving the ball to Harshit Rana in the final over when star Pacer Mitchell Starc was available.
It pleased De Villiers that he made audacious decisions. Iyer did not panic when making important decisions, especially when playing at Eden Gardens, according to the former captain of South Africa, which helped KKR perform well at home.
“Shreyas Iyer has performed flawlessly. Many discussions and suspicions have been raised regarding him as captain.
Right from the beginning of the tournament, I punted him. I adore his calm and collected demeanour as a captain; he is a thoughtful man and a brilliant cricketer. De Villiers posted on his YouTube channel, “He never seems to rush things and never seems to panic even though you know deep down that you feel some panic, especially playing at the Eden Gardens.”
Capturing senior players is difficult: De Villiers
De Villiers added that while managing senior players in the team is not easy for a captain, he thinks Iyer has done a fantastic job with players like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who have a great deal of experience in this format.
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It’s difficult to lead seasoned players who have played for a long time, like Russell and Narine. We are aware that people from the West Indies have distinct characteristics; they tend to be gregarious and occasionally frank. With the cultural differences, it must occasionally be challenging to communicate effectively with some of these seasoned players,” he continued.
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