Shreyas Iyer returns as Kolkata Knight Riders skipper for IPL 2024, Nitish Rana named vice-captain

Two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced that India batter Shreyas Iyer will be returning as the side’s captain for the 2024 season of the tournament, adding that Nitish Rana will be serving as his deputy. “I believe the last season presented us with several challenges, including my absence due to injury. Nitish did.

Two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced that India batter Shreyas Iyer will be returning as the side’s captain for the 2024 season of the tournament, adding that Nitish Rana will be serving as his deputy.

“I believe the last season presented us with several challenges, including my absence due to injury. Nitish did a great job not only filling in for me but also with his commendable leadership. I am delighted that KKR has named him Vice Captain. No doubt it will strengthen the leadership group,” said Shreyas in a statement issued by the franchise.

Rana had been appointed KKR’s captain for IPL 2023 as Iyer was ruled out of the competition due to a back injury which he suffered during the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Ahmedabad and needed surgical intervention in United Kingdom.

Iyer would recover to be a part of India’s campaign in the Asia Cup, though he didn’t play after the group stage due to a back spasm. He would come back for ODIs against Australia and scored a hundred in Indore, which would set the base for him amassing 530 runs in 11 matches of ODI World Cup at an average of 66.25, including two centuries and three fifties.

Iyer was recently a member of India’s 4-1 T20I series win against Australia at home and is in South Africa currently for an all-format tour. Under Rana’s leadership, KKR finished at seventh place in the points table, winning six while losing eight matches to end up with 12 points.