Reports: RCB eyeing Shreyas Iyer as captain; player rejects Ahmedabad, Lucknow

Having parted ways with Delhi Capitals (DC), Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is being seen as a captaincy successor by the mighty popular Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to a report by the Times of India, Iyer is under RCB’s “radar” to replace Virat Kohli at the helm after the great batter decided to relinquish his captaincy post for the franchise with the end of the IPL 2021.

“Post Virat Kohli quitting the RCB captaincy, RCB are really interested in having Iyer as their next captain. Expect them to bid aggressively for the Mumbaikar in next month’s auction in Bangalore,” a source privy to the matter was quoted as saying by TOI.

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Shreyas Iyer could be RCB captain for IPL 2022

Speculations were rife that Shreyas Iyer could be roped in by one of the two new IPL franchises based in Ahmedabad and Lucknow. But it seems the discussions with the player in this regard couldn’t quite bear the desired fruits for the two think-tanks.

It is believed Iyer is very much determined to captain whichever team he gets to play with, as he eyes the top job with a franchise after being removed by DC from the leadership duties for the second half of the IPL 2021.

Iyer, DC’s original skipper, couldn’t play the first half of the IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury he had picked up in March while playing an ODI series against England. In his place, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was appointed at the helm on an interim basis.

But even as Iyer recovered from his injury, the DC team management and ownership group did not bring him back to the captaincy post. A decision that is believed to have played a part in 27-year-old leaving the team altogether during the retention and release phase.

DC’s loss could prove to be RCB’s gain as they search for a captaincy candidate for the IPL 2022, with no one in their existing squad capable of taking over at this stage. But RCB won’t be the only franchise eyeing Iyer at the mega auction due to be held in February. The source in the TOI report said two other franchises could also go after him.

“The Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are also expected to eye him in the auction,” the source said for Shreyas Iyer, who led DC to the playoffs in IPL 2019 and also their first-ever tournament final in IPL 2020.