Shreyas Iyer unworthy of India captaincy? Chandrakant Pandit delivers a blunt verdict

"I remember that he told me: ‘Sir, I’ll prove it.’ The way he has batted in this IPL, he now seems to be a more matured, sensible batsman,” Pandit was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Shreyas Iyer joined the Kolkata Knight Riders after being picked for Rs 12.25 crore at the 2022 auction. The 29-year-old batter was ruled out of last year's tournament due to an injury. Notably, Shreyas previously led the Delhi Capitals (DC) after Gautam Gambhir stepped down from the captaincy in 2018.

Apart from his leadership, Shreyas Iyer amassed 351 runs in 14 matches at an average of 39.00 and a strike rate of 146.86, including two half-centuries in IPL 2024. The right-handed batter scored a crucial half-century in the Qualifier 1 match against Hyderabad. He scored an unbeaten six runs in the summit clash.

His Presence Was A Great Motivation For Everyone - Chandrakant Pandit

Chandrakant Pandit praised Gautam Gambhir's influence in the KKR dressing room, stating that his presence was a great motivation. The 62-year-old emphasized that they took all the decisions collectively throughout the season.

“His presence in the dugout was a great motivation for everyone. It was a great boost for us. He came in with a lot of cricketing experience. He’s been a part of the IPL for so many years. We took all the decisions collectively,” Pandit added.

After his successful stint as a mentor with KKR, Gambhir is now a top contender for the position of head coach for the Indian men's cricket team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently working to find a successor to Rahul Dravid, whose contract expires in June 2024, as head coach.

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