It was difficult to watch Delhi Capitals play during my injury: Shreyas Iyer

As Delhi Capitals played their first match of the IPL 2021 second leg in the UAE, Shreyas Iyer also made his comeback to the tournament. Just a few days before the start of the IPL 2021, Iyer sustained a shoulder injury and was ruled out of the tournament. However, the postponement of the tournament allowed him to make an appearance in the 2021 season. 

Despite being the skipper of the franchise for the last two seasons, he wasn’t included back as the captain on his return as Rishabh Pant, who led the franchise during the first leg, was tipped to continue his leadership. On his return, Iyer talked about the time he was off the field. He said that he couldn’t sit back and watch his team play without him on the field. 

You have to accept the fact and move on: Shreyas Iyer on his injury

“It was really hard to digest the fact that I was sitting at home and watching my TV. But you have to accept the fact and move on. So, I knew that I was going through rehab and surgery was a must for me,” the Mumbai-born player said on Star Sports, in a pre-match interview. Iyer also missed India’s white-ball tour to Sri Lanka as well due to his injury. 

The right-handed batter further said that he kept focusing on his work ethic during his injury with the hope to make a comeback to the team. “So, I didn’t crib about it a lot. I just focused on my work ethic. I just wanted to come back stronger and I am in a good space of mind at the moment,” Iyer added.

Iyer also revealed that he arrived in the UAE earlier than some of his teammates. He wanted to get prepared and start practicing early. “I came six days prior to the team over here before the quarantine started and I just felt really positive after my injury and wanted to hit a few balls and see how I am acclimatizing to the weather over here,” Iyer said. 

Iyer will only make the Delhi Capitals stronger as a team. In the first leg, they managed to win six out of their eight matches. The success in his absence might have been the reason why the franchise decided to stick with Pant as the captain.