IPL 2022: Brendon McCullum Has Got That Calm Demeanor, Really Looking Forward To Working With Him - Shreyas Iyer

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) most expensive buy of the IPL 2022 mega auction, Shreyas Iyer, was quite excited about the prospect of representing the Purple Brigade and he stated that he couldn’t wait to start working with KKR head coach, Brendon McCullum.

McCullum has been credited with the turnaround in KKR’s fortunes in the IPL 2021 season. After the first phase in India, KKR was in seventh place with two wins in seven matches. However, things turned around in the UAE leg where they managed to qualify for the playoffs. They even made it to the final but finally fell to eventual champions, CSK.

“You know, for me to be part of the KKR family is an enormous feeling. I want to really appreciate the work which has been done by all the great players in the past and I would like to follow the same footsteps, which they have created for KKR.”

“Brendon McCullum as a coach I feel is very aggressive. Even when you saw him playing for his country (New Zealand), he was someone who was very aggressive and he is kind of a risk-taker. And I absolutely love that. Obviously, I’ve had few interactions with him after the auction.

“He’s got that calm demeanor and I’m really looking forward to working with him, and to have some very successful seasons for KKR over the years,” Iyer said in a video released by KKR.

“My heart was pumping, and I wasn’t able to control my emotions” – Shreyas Iyer

Prior to the mega auction, there were speculations that either Ishan Kishan or Iyer would end up being the most expensive buys. It turned out to be true as well, with MI dishing out INR 15.25 crores for Kishan and KKR shelling INR 12.25 for Iyer.

It was after a 4-way fight between RCB, Gujarat Titans, KKR, and Delhi Capitals that Iyer was finally sold to KKR for the winning bid. The 27-year-old revealed that he was glued to the TV along with the Indian players part of the squad for the West Indies series.

“I was watching the auction and KKR went for me right from the start. There were some other big franchises as well coming along and I remember the battle was going on. We, all of our team members were sitting together and watching the auction on TV.”

“My heart was pumping, and I wasn’t able to control my emotions. I was trying to act relaxed, but you know, andar hi andar se (from inside), I was feeling a little nervous. Eventually, KKR got me, that feeling was amazing. I’m really proud, considering the rich history and to be coming into the KKR setup,” Iyer mentioned.

The IPL 2022 season will start on March 26 with as many as 70 league stage games to be played.

Also Read – IPL 2022: It Puts Gujarat Titans In A Soup: Aakash Chopra On Jason Roy’s Decision To Pull Out Of The Tournament