Shreyas Iyer has very good cricket brain, has nice vision of how to play game: David Hussey

Ahead of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), former Australian player and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor, David Hussey, feels that new captain, Shreyas Iyer, has a good cricketing brain, and has proved his worth as captain during his time with the Delhi Capitals (DC).

The 27-year-old batter, who led the Capitals to the final of IPL 2020, was bagged by the two-time champions at a whopping price of INR 12.25 crore at the mega auction last month. The KKR management has named Iyer as captain for the upcoming edition, ahead of Australian skipper Pat Cummins.

Talking about Iyer’s numbers in the IPL, the right-handed-batter has played a total of 87 matches in which he has scored 2375 runs at a decent average of 31.67. Iyer has a strike rate of almost 124 and has stroked 16 fifties in the league.

Shreyas is a born leader: David Hussey

“Shreyas is a born leader, just the way he walks around, he commands respect. Knowing Pat (Cummins) really well, he would be a good deputy and would also lead from the front,” Hussey said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

“But the way Shreyas has captained in the past for Delhi, he has a very good cricket brain and a nice vision of how to play the game and I think he will express himself really well. I think it’s a smart move from Brendon (McCullum) and KKR management,” he added.

Hussey also emphasized the fact that he will not be giving too many suggestions to the right-hander as he knows what he is doing.

“The best coaching is to just leave the good players alone, let them go where they work. He is in rare form at the moment. I don’t know him, I’m getting to know him, but he comes across as a true leader and a person who knows his game really really well,” Hussey said in the press conference.

Meanwhile, KKR will take on the defending champions CSK in the tournament opener on March 26 (Saturday). It is expected to be a cracker of a contest between the last year’s finalists.