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Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer has arrived at the camp ahead of the 15th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The prolific right-handed batter said he can't wait to complete the mandatory quarantine period and meet up with the squad.
The 27-year-old, India's middle-order batter, was one of the most expensive players in the mega-auction as the Knight Riders shelled 12.25 crores. The former Delhi Capitals skipper attracted interest from five franchises before the two-time champions emerged triumphantly.
Upon arriving at the bubble, Shreyas Iyer said he is eager to repay the faith the franchise has shown in him. The 27-year-old claimed he is excited to meet the overseas players and the Indian youngsters, who have taken the season by storm. In a video released on the team's social handles, Iyer said:
"I love you very much, Kolkata. Your captain is ready. Super excited! I have been waiting for this day for very long. Now that I'm here, can't wait to get started after three days of quarantine. To be honest, KKR has put in that faith right from the first year. So, it's a great opportunity for me to get this role and I'm super excited and I'm looking forward to gelling with the boys and building that camaraderie."
"I'm really excited to meet Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and many other youngsters as well, domestic players, who have been doing wonders in the domestic season."
The Knight Riders had retained Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, and Sunil Narine before the auction. They spent 47.55 crores in the event and have a squad strength of 25.
"We just have to go and enjoy and keep elevating through our standards" - Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer revealed that the team's focus is on getting every day better by taking it step-by-step and building a favorable culture for all the players. The Mumbai-born cricketer added:
"We just have to go and enjoy and keep elevating through our standards. We need to set a standard and see to it that we achieve it and go beyond it. It's going to be a long process and not a short process and we need to take it step-by-step."
"We need to be in the moment and not think beyond or think about the past and try to enjoy and build that culture around the players. And I hope we can Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo throughout the season."
The right-handed batter has a significant amount of captaincy experience, leading the Capitals to the finals in 2020. His winning record stands at 53.65%.
