Delhi Capitals are unlikely to retain their former skipper Shreyas Iyer with reports hinting that the franchise will go with the quartet of Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel and Anrich Nortje for the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Discussing the fate of the ex-Delhi Capitals captain, former Indian women’s team captain, and a legend of the game, Anjum Chopra admitted that there are a total of five franchises where Iyer can head to for the 15th season.
Iyer had joined Delhi (then Delhi Daredevils) back in 2015. He was roped in for INR 2.6 crores from the auction pool and was retained ahead of the 2018 season IPL auction and was announced the captain a few days later. He led the team to playoffs in 2019, the franchise’s first appearance in the knockouts in seven years before leading them to the final in 2020 where they lost to Mumbai Indians in the final. In 86 innings he batted for the franchise, Iyer scored 1916 runs at 31.7 with 16 half-centuries.
A shoulder injury during the home ODI series against England ruled him out of the first leg of IPL 2021 and Pant was named the skipper. He joined the team ahead of the second leg, in the UAE, and Delhi retained Pant as their captain, who eventually led them to a second successive playoffs appearance.
In conversation with Hindustantimes.com, Anjum picked five possible franchises where Iyer might end up, and it includes the new two new teams, adding the youngster will most likely head the team as well.
“Whichever franchise takes him will obviously make him the captain. So when you look around, there are not many franchises which are looking for captains. Obviously there are two new franchises that will come in and there will be looking for captains. Kolkata is. Maybe Punjab. RCB. Mumbai, Delhi and Rajasthan are all not looking for a captain. Chennai is also not looking for a captain, right now. So whichever franchise Iyer goes to there is a very good chance of him becoming the captain. And there are five possible franchises that he will be going to,” Anjum said.
She further added that defending champions Chennai Super Kings will be looking for a captain soon, but admitted that they are already grooming a youngster for that position.
“Chennai will be looking for a captain very soon. But I think they are already grooming one. I have already put my neck out and said Ruturaj Gaikwad, during last IPL. Might not be this season because MS (Dhoni) is there. But whatever happens in Chennai, remains in Chennai,” she said.
Earlier this month, Dhoni had once again talked about his future in CSK, saying that he wants to play his last T20 game in Chennai.
“I will think about it, there is a lot of time, right now we are just in November. IPL 2022 will be played in April,” Dhoni said during an event in Chennai when asked about his IPL particiaption.
“I have always planned my cricket. You know my last game that I played, was in Ranchi. (In) the ODI version, the last home game was at my hometown in Ranchi. So hopefully, my last T20, it will be in Chennai. Whether it’s next year, or in five years’ time, we don’t really know,” he added.
