IPL Auction 2022: As KKR Buy Shreyas Iyer, Have They Found Their New Captain?

IPL auction 2022: Shreyas Iyer has been bought by KKR for Rs 12.25 crore.

Image: BCCI 

Shreyas Iyer has become the most expensive player so far in this 2022 IPL auction, being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 12.25 crore.

The young Mumbai batter was always going to be one of the most sought-after players in the auction with franchises looking to build for the future. His base price was Rs 2 crore and immediately Delhi and Bangalore started the bidding and raised it to Rs 4.2 crore within the first few seconds.

Lucknow then moved it to Rs 4.40 crore, after which Delhi again raised the bid.

Kolkata and Gujarat joined in a bit late but KKR were in for the long haul and they stopped only once they'd ensured they made the final bid.

Shreyas Iyer was bought for Rs 12.25 crore.

Do they have their new captain?

Kolkata also brought back Australia Test captain Pat Cummins, fighting off competition from new franchises Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans. They bought the Australian Test skipper for Rs 7.25 crores after previously buying him for Rs 15.5 crores in the IPL 2020 auction.

Shreyas Iyer was among the most prolific scorers for the Delhi Capitals before the team released him after the 2021 season. He had also led the team to the final in IPL 2020.

Iyer, who also captained Delhi to the playoffs in 2019, had missed the first half of the 2021 season due to injury, returning eventually for the second half, to score 175 runs in 8 games. In the season before that, the right-hander had scored 519 runs in 17 games and another 463 runs in 16 games the year before in the Delhi colours. He has been one of the most important players for the Delhi side in recent years, and it was indeed a bit of a surprise when he was released by the franchise.

Seen as one of the important players for the Indian team in the future, Iyer is known to score big runs through the season and will be looking to do the same this year as well, especially with the 2022 T20 World Cup coming up later in the year.

He also made his much awaited Test debut in the two-match series against New Zealand, scoring a century and half-century in Kanpur.