What the Daredevils captaincy means for Shreyas Iyer

It was just another hot afternoon for Shreyas Iyer. He was going about his routine like he would before any other IPL match when a certain news came his way to change how he would look at his game completely, at least for the remainder of IPL 2018. Iyer was informed about the management’s decision to appoint him as the skipper of Delhi Daredevils in place of Gautam Gambhir, who had decided to step down just minutes earlier.

It was just another hot afternoon for Shreyas Iyer. He was going about his routine like he would before any other IPL match, when a certain news came his way to change how he would look at his game completely, at least for the remainder of the IPL. Iyer was informed about the management’s decision to appoint him as the skipper of Delhi Daredevils in place of Gautam Gambhir, who had decided to step down just minutes earlier.

Iyer has been the silver lining in Daredevils’ dismal start to the IPL. He struck two half centuries in the last two matches, albeit in losing cause.  That Gambhir recommended Iyer over Pant as his successor, despite the latter having the experience of leading Delhi in the Ranji Trophy is in itself a big shot in the arm for the 23-year-old.

Iyer too is well aware that this could bring about another positive change in his rising career. Captaining an IPL franchise is no less than leading an international side, especially, taking into consideration the pressure and expectations to deliver.

"I am really loving the responsibility. I love facing challenges. It is a great opportunity to prove myself and take the team to the highest level possible," said Iyer after the being informed about his appointment as the new captain of Daredevils.

It won’t be a bed of roses for the youngster. Daredevils have lost five of their six matches so far, prompting the seasoned campaigner Gambhir to take the drastic step. Iyer doesn’t come in with a lot of captaincy experience either. His only brush up with captaincy came in South Africa, where he led India A in the limited overs fixtures.

 It would be a big tick on his CV if Iyer can inspire the Daredevils side to the play-offs on the back of his leadership skills and batting prowess. It’s easier said than done though. However, he has the full support of the team management.

"We can still turn it around. Six out of our eight games are at home. I have said all along that we have the team to do well. It is just that we have not been able to put it together. The gap between our best cricket and worst cricket has been a bit too much," said Ricky Ponting, the head coach of Daredevils.

Former captain Gambhir too was optimistic of his side making it to the play-offs under the captaincy of Iyer.

"We are in the middle of the competition. We still have a good chance of making the play-offs. We need to be thinking about that rather than my future," Gambhir added.

Iyer’s first assignment will be against Knight Riders as early as Saturday, which will not only mark Daredevils’ tectonic shift but will also provide the initials of Iyer the captain.