IPL 2021: Shreyas Iyer Responds On Losing Delhi Capital’s Captaincy To Rishabh Pant

Shreyas Iyer, who made a comeback in cricket almost after five months shared his views on losing captaincy to Rishabh Pant. Iyer made a great contribution to Delhi Capital’s 8 wicket victory as he went on to smash unbeaten 47 runs to chase the target of 135 posted by SunRisers Hyderabad in the first inning. 

Speaking in the post-match conference, Iyer expressed his views on losing DC’s captaincy to Rishabh Pant. The 26-year old stated that he respects the franchise’s decision to carry on with Pant as the leader of the side as he is currently doing well as a leader. 

Notably, Shreyas Iyer sustained a shoulder injury during a match between England and India earlier this year which saw him ruled out of the first phase of the IPL 2021 as well as many international tours.

“Look, when I got the captaincy, I was in a really different frame of mind. My decision making and temperament were very good, and that helped me in the last two years. Change in captaincy is part of the decision making of the franchise, and whatever decision they took, I respect that. Rishabh has been leading well since the start of the season, so they must have thought they’d continue him till the end of the season,” Iyer said in the post-match conference. 

The former Delhi Capital’s captain further pointed out how his hunger for runs is gradually increasing with the number of matches he is playing.

“It’s a really good feeling, to be honest, I wouldn’t say that I’m satisfied because the hunger has just gone up. And the appetite keeps on increasing every match you play. So yeah, I’m not satisfied, not content,” added the former DC skipper.

At the same time, Iyer also highlighted the difference between his performance when he was captain and now when is playing merely as a batsman.

“For me, there’s no drastic change that I am more focused during batting now as compared to when I was captain. I like soaking the pressure, when there’s pressure, the challenges increase, and I try to get myself in the mindset that I perform well when the going’s tough,” Iyer added further.