Shane Watson praised Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer for his efforts as a leader in the present Indian Premier League.
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson praised Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer for his leadership in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), which has led his team to the final, saying that the Knights’ overall performance throughout the season only reflects how well he is doing as a leader and allowing everyone to play their best. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured their place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 summit clash by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 8 wickets in a lopsided Qualifier 1 contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.
He commended Iyer’s leadership, noting that his success is reflected in the team’s overall performance. Watson pointed out that Iyer’s ability to perform well without putting undue pressure on his teammates allows them to play freely and excel.
In the current season, Iyer has scored 345 runs in 13 innings, averaging 38.33 with a strike rate of 146.18, including two half-centuries, with his highest score being 58*.
The two-time champions have displayed an all-round team effort this tournament. Notable contributions include Sunil Narine (482 runs and 16 wickets in 14 matches), Phil Salt (435 runs in 12 innings), Iyer (345 runs in 13 innings), Venkatesh Iyer (318 runs in 12 innings), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (163 runs in seven innings), Ramandeep Singh (125 runs in nine innings), Andre Russell (222 runs in nine innings and 16 wickets), Rinku Singh (168 runs in 11 innings), Varun Chakravarthy (20 wickets in 14 matches), Harshit Rana (17 wickets in 12 matches), Mitchell Starc (15 wickets in 13 matches), and Vaibhav Arora (10 wickets in nine matches).
In the recent match, Sunrisers Hyderabad chose to bat first but struggled at 39/4 after a strong powerplay spell by Mitchell Starc. A 62-run partnership between Rahul Tripathi (55 off 35 balls, with seven fours and a six) and Heinrich Klaasen (32 off 21 balls, with three fours and a six) helped SRH reach over 100 runs. Despite a late 30-run cameo by skipper Starc, SRH was bowled out for 159 in 19.3 overs. Starc was the standout bowler for KKR with 3/34 in four overs, supported by Varun Chakravarthy with 2/26, and contributions from other bowlers.
In response, KKR’s openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23 off 14 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Sunil Narine (21 off 16 balls, with four boundaries) set a solid foundation. Attacking half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer (58* off 24 balls, with five fours and four sixes) and Venkatesh Iyer (51* off 28 balls, with five fours and four sixes) led KKR to an eight-wicket victory with 38 balls to spare.
