India batter Shreyas Iyer has proved himself as leader of the man with his exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Iyer had joined the Delhi-based franchise in 2015. He was retained by them at the 2018 IPL auction before being handed over the captaincy later in the season. The 27-year-old led DC to the playoffs in 2019 and followed it with their maiden appearance in the final in 2020.
Ahead of the IPL 2021, Shreyas sustained a shoulder injury and missed the first half of the tournament, which saw Rishabh Pant being appointed as Delhi’s new captain. Although he returned to the side for the IPL 14 second phase, the DC management decided to continue with Pant as skipper.
WATCH – “I'm a player's captain”, says KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer ahead of upcoming IPL
Speaking to TOI, Iyer on Tuesday (March 1) said Delhi would've retained him as skipper had he not been injured.
“Injury,” Iyer said on being asked what was the bigger blow between injury and losing captaincy. “That was a bigger low. If that didn't happen, they wouldn't have stepped me down as a captain. At Delhi Capitals, you saw the reflection of the environment at the start of 2021, which we created in 2019 & 20. The atmosphere was amazing. The players knew each other inside out, their strengths and weaknesses. I don't want to get deeper into it.”
With Rishabh Pant at the helm, Delhi Capitals reached the playoffs of IPL 2021 and the franchise decided to retain him as skipper for the upcoming season while releasing Iyer.
As a result, Shreyas Iyer entered into the IPL 2022 mega-auction and he was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a hefty sum of INR 12.25 crore before being named the franchise's skipper.
Reflecting on that shoulder injury, Iyer said it all turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"Sometimes things just happen for the better. It's just that we come to know about it later. I was on a roll right in New Zealand and began feeling really confident of myself and my batting. As captain, I had an amazing season going in the IPL and I scored some 500 runs. I was in a good frame of mind and then that injury began playing on my mind. Forced breaks are never easy because you have to start all over again.
"Injuries and rehabs are painful. But I must say, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The injury had made me feel I was 50% of the player I otherwise am. Having fully recovered, I've come back fresh and feel good. So, whatever happens, happens for good," he remarked.
