IPL 2022: Will Shreyas Iyer captain Virat Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore this season?

Since Delhi Capitals were rechristened, Shreyas Iyer led the franchise into the Playoff (in 2019) and then the final (in 2020).

Shreyas Iyer (right) and Virat Kohli. (Photo: BCCI/IPL)

Former Delhi Capitals and Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer made a sensational debut in Test cricket against New Zealand last year. Iyer was extremely unlucky not to make the final XI in the three-Test series against South Africa but his rise to national contention has been due to his performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Since Delhi Capitals were rechristened, Iyer led the franchise into the Playoff (in 2019) and then the final (in 2020). An injury before the IPL 2021 meant that Rishabh Pant was made the new captain of the Capitals, who have subsequently not retained Iyer for the 2022 season.

Now, various reports are saying that Iyer will not be either of the two new franchises – Lucknow or Ahmedabad – as both the teams are not offering captaincy to the experienced Mumbai batter. Iyer had chosen to enter the IPL 2022 mega auction which will take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

It is believed that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are looking at Iyer as a potential skipper with Virat Kohli stepping down from captaincy at the end of 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 was quoted as saying by TOI.

“The Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are also expected to eye him in the auction,” the source added.

2022 [?] pic.twitter.com/osgpZJbTrn — Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15) January 1, 2022

Punjab Kings are also on the lookout for a captain with KL Rahul all set to join Lucknow franchise from this season. KKR, who lost in the IPL 2021 final to MS Dhoni’s CSK, will also prefer to have a proven performer like Iyer as the skipper as England captain Eoin Morgan struggled for form throughout the IPL 2021.

In 87 IPL matches in his career, Iyer has scored 2,375 Runs at a strike-rate of 124. Iyer was getting a salary of Rs 7 crore from the Capitals till last year.