Plenty of IPL teams are in search of a leader, Shreyas Iyer will certainly get the role somewhere: Pragyan Ojha

Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha feels that Shreyas Iyer will have many options even apart from Delhi Capitals as far as performing a leadership role is concerned. Ojha’s comments come after Capitals named the players retained by them ahead of the next edition of the Indian Premier League.

The franchise decided to retain three Indians: Rishabh Pant, who led them to a top-table finish in Iyer’s absence due to injury in 2021, opener Prithvi Shaw and spinner Axar Patel. The only foreigner retained by the team is South Africa pacer Anrich Nortje, while the team released all others, including the senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and also Iyer, who led them to runners-up finish in 2020.

Ojha noted that with several teams needing a captain, Iyer is likely to get the role somewhere or the other. Recent reports have been suggestive that Iyer wanted to resume DC’s captaincy from the next season, but the franchise was keen to have Pant in the role.

Shreyas Iyer has been extremely impressive as a leader: Pragyan Ojha

“Keeping aside two or three teams, nearly every team is in search of a leader. There is now an opening of that role in RCB as Virat Kohli has stepped down, then there are two new teams coming in (Lucknow and Ahmedabad). We also don’t know how things will work out on the captaincy end for Kolkata Knight Riders,” Ojha told Cricbuzz.

“Considering all these things, and as much as I have seen Shreyas Iyer, the captain, he would definitely want to continue leading some or the other team and he should get that chance. He was extremely impressive in that role with Delhi Capitals, but it seems the management is now seeing towards Rishabh Pant, so he [Iyer] has decided not to stay.

“I think there must have been a discussion between Iyer and the team management regarding his retention, but he would have been informed about Pant being seen as the captain. It was clear ever since he was injured. Because he went out of the team (due to shoulder injury) as a captain, but upon return, he did not resume the role,” added Ojha.

The coming edition of the IPL will see 10 teams participating for the title. The existing eight teams have time until November 30 to name their retentions, whole the two new teams can pick up to three non-retained players until December 25.