Shreyas Iyer believes the next IPL season will be one of his “most important assignments” as captain. He has been in charge of the capitals of Delhi since 2018, when he took over half the competition, replacing Gautam Gambhir.
“It’s certainly very different from last season, but the challenges excite me,” Iyer told IPLT20.com. “As captain, this is going to be without a doubt one of my most important assignments just because of how different the setting is. It is going to be very different, the key is to do it one day at a time. Informed on what to and what not to do. he must do at every step, it is crucial that everyone in our team bubble follow him. “
Iyer’s rise to the role has coincided with a strong change of fortune, both for Iyer and for the Capitals. Iyer, who missed the World Cup bus, has since cemented his position on India’s limited-pass teams following a strong IPL season in which he made 463 runs in 16 innings, the third highest for the team. after Shikhar Dhawan. and Rishabh Pant.
As for the team’s luck, Capitales finished third at the end of the league stage, with nine victories in 14 games. They beat the Hyderabad Sunrisers in a tense tie, before losing to eventual runners-up Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier-2.
Now, while looking forward to leading Capitals again, Iyer has welcomed the addition of two other former IPL captains in R Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane alongside. Both players were acquired through off-season trades, from Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively.
“Ashwin and Rahane add tremendous depth to our side and give Ricky and I options to be flexible with our playing XI depending on where we are playing, who our opponents are, and where we are located in the tournament at a particular time,” Iyer explained. “Also, these are two people who are very knowledgeable about the game and have been captains of IPL teams, so for me, as captain, this is an opportunity to use all the experience and get closer to them when I want to share or discuss something “.
Iyer promised cricket “aggressive and passionate”, traits he felt the Capitals have ingrained from Ricky Ponting, their head coach. Iyer felt Ponting’s power to make free decisions has contributed to him being a better cricketer.
“I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with someone of his stature, so closely,” said Iyer. “He is a legend and makes everyone, from the oldest to the newest, feel at home and as part of this unit. As a captain, he gives me freedom and that has helped me grow as a cricketer.”
The Capitals have made two forced changes ahead of the season, bringing in Anrich Nortje and Daniel Sams for Chris Woakes and Jason Roy respectively. England’s internationals withdrew due to injury problems, but the team appears to be well balanced. Its core is mainly Indian, with the presence of Iyer, Rahane, Dhawan, Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Ashwin and Ishant Sharma, all experienced players. His foreign players include Kagiso Rabada, Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and the two signings, among others.
Iyer believes the focus this time around is to ensure everyone contributes in unison, rather than having a featured artist for the season. “All the pieces of the puzzle must be in the right place to be a champion team,” he said. “But the IPL is a long tournament and the results invariably keep going up and down. The only thing that worked for us last season is how in each and every game, different players rose to the occasion and that was crucial. for our success and will, this year will also be key, since it will not only have a constant interpreter, but many of them.
“Delhi has not made it to the IPL final, but last year we were almost there. That performance gives us all a great feeling that this group can do it. Yes, it will be a different IPL, we will be without our fans, but that makes us it motivates more to do this for them. They will be watching and supporting us, we really want to do this for the Delhi fans. “
.
