Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore announced on Thursday that Shreyas Iyer will continue to be the captain of KKR and Nitish Rana will be his deputy for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the IPL 2023 due to injury, with Nitish Rana stepping in as captain throughout the season as the Knight Riders finished eighth in the rankings. Iyer returned to cricket action at the 2023 Asia Cup in September-October, and he also helped India reach the 2023 World Cup final last month.
Making the announcement, Venky said: “It was indeed unfortunate that Shreyas missed IPL 2023 due to injury. We are delighted that he’s back and at the helm as Captain. The way he has worked hard to recover from his injury and the form he has displayed is a testament to his character.
The Knight Riders also confirmed the return of Gautam Gambhir to the franchise as a mentor last month. Gambhir led the KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 before being released by the team before of the 2018 season. Following his retirement, Gambhir served as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants for two years (in 2022 and 2023).
“We are also grateful that Nitish had agreed to step into Shreyas’s shoes last season and did a great job. There’s no doubt Nitish as Vice Captain will support Shreyas in every possible way for the benefit of #TeamKKR”
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer praised Rana for taking over as captain in 2023; Rana has been selected vice-captain for the forthcoming edition.
“I believe the last season presented us with several challenges, including my absence due to injury. Nitish did a great job not only filling in for me but also with his commendable leadership. I am delighted that KKR has named him Vice Captain. No doubt it will strengthen the leadership group,” Iyer said.
