India white-ball maverick Shreyas Iyer will eventually find a new team in the lead-up to the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Iyer, who is expected to make his presence felt in the upcoming One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa, had earlier parted ways with Delhi Capitals (DC) on the retention day for the next season of the cash-rich league.
Iyer is reportedly on the wish list of Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as the IPL franchise is looking for a new leader ahead of the new season. Iyer had guided Delhi Capitals to their maiden IPL final in the 2020 edition of the domestic cricket’s biggest extravaganza. Former Indian skipper Kohli had relinquished the captaincy after RCB’s bitter-sweet season in the IPL 2021.
Thus, RCB are expected to play the 15th season of the IPL under a new leader. According to a report filed by TimesofIndia, it has been learned that Kohli’s RCB franchise is interested in acquiring the services of Iyer at the mega auction. “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,” said a source who is tracking the developments closely.
As per the report, the source also added that last season’s runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) are also in the hunt to sign Iyer at the mega auction. The recent developments about Iyer’s transfer also suggest that Iyer will not join either Lucknow or Ahmedabad.
“The Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are also expected to eye him in the auction,” the source said. Interestingly, the report has stated that Iyer was not offered the captaincy role by Lucknow or Ahmedabad. Multiple reports have suggested that Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul will lead the two new franchises in IPL 2022. Pandya and Rahul were not retained by Mumbai Indians (MI) and PBKS, respectively ahead of the mega auction. The mega auction of the IPL is set to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
