IPL 2022: KKR's future 'bright' under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, says Irfan Pathan

Under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, the future of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is "bright", according to former India pacer Irfan Pathan.

KKR signed Iyer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction at INR 12.25 crore with the aim of naming him their captain.

After leading Delhi Capitals (DC) for two and a half seasons, Iyer lost his captaincy when he withdrew from the first phase of IPL 2021 due to an injury. In his absence, DC appointed Rishabh Pant as their captain. The franchise decided to continue with the Delhi batsman even after Iyer returned to action in the UAE phase of IPL 2021.

Iyer led DC in 41 matches, winning 21, losing 18, and tying the remaining two games.

Iyer started his KKR stint with a fine win over reigning champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last week. KKR defeated CSK by six wickets at Wankhede Stadium. However, KKR followed that with a loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

"Shreyas Iyer is a brilliant captain. Remember, he picked up captaincy midway through the season like Rohit Sharma who was named Mumbai Indians' captain halfway through the season in IPL 2013. For Delhi Capitals, Shreyas started well under the supervision of coach Ricky Ponting and he kept improving his decision-making skills in his first stint as captain," Pathan said on Star Sports' 'Cricket Live'.

Iyer defended his team's fighting attitude as they took the game to the last over after posting just 124 runs in the first innings. Before the start of the second inning, Iyer inspired his side by saying "this game is going to define our character and attitude on the field no matter we defend or not."

Pathan also said that Iyer's captaincy skills are more apparent than now and he is a "players' captain".

"His captaincy moves are coming to the fore prominently in this season and we will talk more about it as the tournament progresses. He's a players' captain. He backs the players at every turn and which is a good sign of a leader. The future of Kolkata is bright under his supervision and we've seen glimpses of it in the first couple of games," Pathan added further.

KKR are currently playing Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Wankhede Stadium.