Kolkata Knigh Riders (KKR) catpain Shreyas Iyer’s back injury has ruled him out of at least the first half of IPL 2023. KKR have now named Nitish Rana as the interim captain. Former Indian cricketer Anjum Chopra believes that KKR will face a big challenge in absence of Shreyas as his is a big shoes to fill. “For KKR, it will be challenge to play without Shreyas Iyer rather than a big blow. I think it (calling his absence a big blow) will be unfair as it undermines the skills of new captain Nitish Rana and other players. But yes, they will surely miss Shreyas as a captain and player,” Anjum told Zee News English in an exclusive interaction.
Also Read | KKR Captain Shreyas Iyer Wants To Play IPL 2023 And WTC 2023 Final, Says Report
Currently, Shreyas is recovering at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru after he decided to not get operated for the back injury as he aims to make an early comeback just by rehab work.
Captains, Assemble! __
_: IPLT20 | #AmiKKR #TATAIPL2023 pic.twitter.com/vFKDqFAcPx— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 30, 2023
Anjum also said Jasprit Bumrah not being there with Mumbai Indians is a huge miss. “Bumrah not being there is bad news for MI as he is a quality pacer and Indian player. This combination works wonderfully for any side in IPL.”
Speaking over Shikhar Dhawan’s future as India player, the cricketer-turned-commentator said that Punjab Kings batter can still make a national comeback. She said that Dhawan can be a very good captain as he is a very secured cricketer. The India opener had recently said that if he were a selector, he would have picked Shubman Gill over him in the India playing 11. Anjum feels that this statement really sums up Dhawan’s personality. She said that this quality of Dhawan makes him a very good candidate to lead a team.
“Shikhar Dhawan is not out of scheme of things. Remember, he is still a contracted player. Yes, he should definitely be eyeing a return to national squad. I think he will be a very good and calm leader. He is very well settled in his space. That is a great attribute to have a skipper,” said Anjum.
