Shreyas Iyer captaincy under threat?

As the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) approaches its climax, the competition for playoff berths has intensified significantly. Each team is now fully focused and striving to deliver their best performances in pursuit of the prestigious title. Among them, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stand out as an impressive contender, currently occupying the second position in the standings with six victories from nine matches played in the tournament.

Shreyas Iyer led KKR side have been a force to reckon with in the tournament so far but there have been certain moments throughout the tournament where Iyer as a captain has led the team down. One such instance can be recalled in KKR’s last game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) where the PBKS side pulled off a record chase of 262 runs with eight balls to spare. During the match, Iyer’s captaincy decision came under scrutiny as he appeared clueless in managing his bowlers’ rotations.

On that note let us look at some reasons why the KKR skipper has been at his best when it comes to captaincy in the ongoing IPL 2024;

Brain fade bowling changes

In the 42^nd game of the IPL 2024 where PBKS chased down a total of 262 runs, there were multiple instances where Iyer was spotted clueless. In a match where PBKS openers were off to a flying start, the KKR captain refrained from turning to Sunil Narine to disrupt the momentum. Likewise, in the encounter against Rajasthan Royals (RR), when RR found themselves in dire straits at 121/6, unexpected bowling alterations by Iyer enabled Jos Buttler to find his rhythm, leading to RR’s narrow victory by 2 wickets. Despite posting a formidable total of 223 runs, KKR ended up on the losing side.

Batting form affecting captaincy

The IPL 2024, itself has not been something great for KKR’s skipper. In the eight games that the star India batter has played, he has scored 218 runs at an average of 136.25 and strike rate of 36.33 which is below par as far as his standards are considered. It also goes to show that Iyer is probably carrying his lack of form with the bat whenever he goes out as a captain.

Underutilization of Andre Russell as a bowler

One of the major reasons why KKR have lost the matches in this year’s IPL is because of their bowling. The KKR bowling department let RR and PBKS chase down the targets of 223 and 262 runs. Sunil Narine emerges as the leading wicket-taker for KKR, having claimed 10 wickets thus far. Following closely is Andre Russell, who, despite limited opportunities, has been highly effective, securing nine wickets to his name.

Despite being a little expensive, the West Indian star all-rounder has found a way to pick up wickets. Russell’s proficiency in bowling during the death overs has been notable throughout the tournament. However, it is surprising to note that Captain Iyer, has utilized Russell’s bowling services sparingly. In the eight games Russell has played thus far, he has only bowled 15.2 overs. This underutilization of Russell’s bowling skills raises questions about the team’s as well as Iyer’s strategy and decision-making on the field.

If KKR needs to win their third IPL title then it is a brainer that the captaincy of Iyer as well as their bowling need to come to the party and start delivering.