Shreyas Iyer To Lead Kolkata Knight Riders In IPL 2024, Nitish Rana Named Vice Captain
Published - 14 Dec 2023, 04:16 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:23 AM
![Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana](https://static.cricketaddictor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Shreyas-Iyer-and-Nitish-Rana.jpg?q=80)
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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore announced Shreyas Iyer as the captain of the franchise for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 edition. Nitish Rana, who captained the team in the IPL 2023, will serve as deputy to Shreyas Iyer in the next edition.
Shreyas Iyer missed the entire season of the IPL due to back issues, and Nitish Rana was named as interim captain. The Kolkata-based franchise failed to advance to the playoffs in the last season, finishing in seventh place with 6 wins and 8 losses out of 14 league-stage games.
Shreyas Iyer Is Back At The Helm As Captain – Venky Mysore
On Thursday, KKR CEO Venky Mysore made an announcement regarding the skipper of the franchise for the upcoming IPL season. Mysore expressed gratitude to Nitish Rana for his excellent job as interim captain and emphasized his crucial role as vice-captain.
“It was indeed unfortunate that Shreyas missed IPL 2023 due to injury. We are delighted that he’s back and at the helm as Captain. The way he has worked hard to recover from his injury and the form he has displayed is a testament to his character. We are also grateful that Nitish had agreed to step into Shreyas’s shoes last season and did a great job. There’s no doubt Nitish as Vice Captain will support Shreyas in every possible way for the benefit of Team KKR,” Mysore said.
It Will Strengthen The Leadership Group – Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer expressed his delight at KKR naming Nitish Rana as vice-captain, foreseeing it as a strengthening move for the leadership group. He commended Rana for not only stepping in for him but also for showcasing commendable leadership.
“I believe the last season presented us with several challenges, including my absence due to injury. Nitish did a great job not only filling in for me but also with his commendable leadership. I am delighted that KKR has named him Vice Captain. No doubt it will strengthen the leadership group,” Shreyas Iyer added.
The franchise has faced recent challenges over the past few seasons, managing to qualify for the playoffs only once since 2018. The 2014 champions finished seventh in the standings for the last two seasons.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Released And Retained Players
Retained Players: Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Jason Roy, Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer
Released Players: Aarya Desai, David Wiese, Johnson Charles, Kulwant Khejroliya, Litton Das, Lockie Ferguson, Mandeep Singh, N. Jagadeesan, Shakib Al Hasan, Shardul Thakur, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav