We are hoping Shreyas Iyer will be back very soon: KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit

While Kolkata Knight Riders would have been recovering from a traumatic IPL 2022 season where they finished seventh on the points table, they were struck with another major blow in the form of Shreyas Iyer’s back injury. Iyer’s recurrent back issue held him back from participating in the IPL 2023 and it still remains unclear as to when the Indian star would be able to mark his presence in the cash-rich league.

Talking in the same line of events, KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit stated that he hopes Iyer will be back very soon. Pandit stated that the 28-year-old’s injury is truly an unfortunate thing for them and his absence would certainly be felt since he stands to be a vital cog in the two-time champion’s set-up. Though KKR had a lackluster 2022 campaign, Iyer did amass his share of runs by entering the 400-run club.

“Whatever little cricket I have played or coached, I have never gone back over things like squad unavailability. Shreyas's absence will make a difference since he is important, but this is truly unfortunate. We are hoping Shreyas will be back very soon and that will make a lot of difference to the team,” said Pandit as quoted by Cricbuzz.

I am comfortable knowing Nitish Rana can handle the captaincy role: Pandit

While Iyer’s unavailability created a big void in KKR’s batting line-up, it also left their management to brainstorm captaincy candidates. However, KKR management threw their support behind Nitish Rana for leading the purple and gold jersey in 2023. Pandit has also backed the domestic hero to come out well for Kolkata in his new role. KKR will begin 2023 IPL proceedings against PBKS on April 1.

“When we select players and give responsibility to players, we see who is capable. And Nitish is capable. He has been with KKR for a long time and also has a strong domestic record. Like they say, 'all boxes to be ticked' and it has come down to that. I am comfortable knowing he can handle the role. We don't see whether someone is deserving or not. Every player has different skills, and after thinking about what Nitish brings to the table, we are confident with the decision,” he added.

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