Although he enjoys batting at No. 3 in the shortest format, Shreyas Iyer is ready to be flexible depending upon the team scenario in the upcoming IPL season.
During the IPL 2022 mega-auction last month, KKR had roped in Shreyas for a hefty sum of INR 12.25 crore and he was also appointed captain of the franchise.
In his last T20I series outing, Iyer earned the Player-of-the-Series award against Sri Lanka. With Virat Kohli resting for the series, the right-hander was promoted to No. 3 and he returned with 204 runs in three games at a blistering strike rate of 174.35.
"For me personally, I feel No. 3 is my batting position because that's the position I love to bat and have been batting for very long. But I'm flexible whatever the team requires, I'm very comfortable with that. Come what may, I'm ready to explore," he said during a virtual interaction.
In his maiden media interaction after joining KKR, Shreyas Iyer urged his troops to be flexible and take up responsibilities.
"You can't always portray yourself as an anchor. On a given day, I can be a power hitter and someone does the role of anchoring the side. The situations and roles can change based on the conditions," he said.
"If it's your day, you need to go out and win the match for the team. Basically the responsibility has to be taken by all the players in the team to go out there and win the match without relying on other players."
KKR head coach Brendon McCullum is known for his aggressive brand of cricket and Shreyas Iyer said his style matches with the former New Zealand skipper.
"They have always been aggressive, and fearless from ball one, always like to throw the punch and put the opposition on the backfoot. "I want such kind of intensity from my players. It's great if it comes from the coach. It's the mindset KKR have nourished over the years. I also have a similar kind of mindset, not to have any regrets," he said.
Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their IPL 2022 campaign against defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the tournament opener on March 26.
(With PTI inputs)
