IPL 2021: Shreyas Iyer talks about his injury and Delhi Capitals’ decision to continue with Rishabh Pant as the captain

Shreyas Iyer made a remarkable comeback in Delhi Capitals’ first match of the second leg of IPL 2021 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He remained not out on 47 and was a part of two important partnerships with Shikhar Dhawan and then Rishabh Pant. Iyer hit the winning shot that sealed the victory for his side who continue to march forward.

Iyer had been injured before the first leg of the competition. His shoulder injury was pretty serious and he also required surgery. As a result, Delhi Capitals appointed Rishabh Pant as the interim captain for the first leg but have persisted with him even after Iyer’s return this season.

The right-handed batsman talked about his injury and how devastating the period on the sidelines was for him. “It was really hard to digest the fact that I was sitting at home and watching my TV. But you have to accept the fact and move on. So, I knew that I was going through rehab and surgery was a must for me,” the Mumbai-born player said on Star Sports, in a pre-match interview.

The 26-year-old relied on his work ethic and extreme commitment to make a comeback and it paid off in the match against SRH. Shreyas Iyer scored 47 runs off 41 deliveries and his innings included two fours and two sixes.

“So, I didn’t crib about it a lot. I just focused on my work ethic. I just wanted to come back stronger and I am in a good space of mind at the moment.”

Iyer had taken over the reins of the side in IPL 2018 after Gautam Gambhir stepped down as captain. He led the side to the IPL playoffs in 2019 and 2020 and they even played in the final last season. Although he agrees that captaincy has helped him grow as a player over the last couple of seasons, he respects DC’s decision to stick with Rishabh Pant for the time being.

“When I got the captaincy, I was in a different frame of mind. My decision-making and temperament level was really good. It really helped in the last two years. But obviously, this is part of the decision-making from the franchise. I respect the decision they have made to continue with him (Pant) as captain,” Iyer said in the post-match press conference.