In the upcoming Indian Premier League, star batsman Shreyas Iyer of India is slated to return as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Due to a back problem, the right-handed hitter was unable to play in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) or the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021–23 final. But he returned to action at the just finished ICC Cricket World Cup, finishing with 530 runs to rank third among Indian scorers.
In the 2023 Indian Premier League, Nitish Rana was named the two-time champions' acting captain in lieu of Iyer. In the eagerly anticipated 17th season of the lucrative league, he will now be Iyer's deputy.
Shreyas Iyer lavished praise on Nitish Rana for taking over the captaincy in 2023 and expressed his delight after the latter was appointed as the vice-captain.
“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 Iyer.