(UTV | INDIA) – Shreyas Iyer made a remarkable comeback from injury last year, gaining a Test cap.
India batter Shreyas Iyer made a remarkable comeback from injury last year, gaining a Test cap and scoring a hundred on debut in the format before being named as the new captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and capping off a sensation run in T20I series against Sri Lanka. However, the period of high, saw a period of “bigger low” and Iyer on Tuesday opened up on losing his captaincy in Delhi Capitals.
Shreyas had led the Delhi Capitals squad to their first IPL playoffs in 2019 after seven seasons where they had finished third in the group before beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, and eventually lost to Chennai Super Kings in the second Qualifier.
However, he was ruled out of the first half of the subsequent season owing to a shoulder injury he incurred during the ODI series at home against England. Shreyas had dislocated his shoulder and had later undergone a surgery in UK.
Rishabh Pant was named as the captain for the first half of the season and was retained for the position even when Shreyas had returned for the second half of IPL 2021 in the UAE.
When asked which was the bigger low for him – the injury or losing his captaincy – Shreyas, in a conversation said, “Injury. 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.”
Iyer was released by the Delhi franchise, who had retained Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw and Anrich Nortje ahead of the mega auction. He was later roped in by KKR for INR 12.25 crore and was then named their new captain.
Looking back at the injury and his captaincy at Delhi Capitals, he said, “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.”