Kolkata: Shreyas Iyer, the dynamic young India batsman, who powered the team to an emphatic 3-0 T20I win over Sri Lanka, says he is looking forward to donning the Kolkata Knight Riders jersey under the "very aggressive" coach Brendon McCullum in the coming edition of the Indian Premier League.
Iyer, who would captain the KKR side in the high-profile league, said he also loved the New Zealander's risk-taking ability.
”Brendon McCullum as a coach I feel is very aggressive. Even when you saw him playing for his country (New Zealand), he was someone who was very aggressive and he is kind of a risk-taker. And I absolutely love that. Obviously, I've had few interactions with him after the auction. He's got that calm demeanor and I'm really looking forward to working with him, and to have some very successful seasons for KKR over the years," he said in an interview to kkr.in.
Spelling out his role as skipper, Iyer said “I feel that I'm a player's captain and I want to create an atmosphere where all of us are thinking towards one goal, which is winning.”
Iyer said he was now more mature and experienced in terms of decision-making. “I would be coming in with a much different mindset now. I'm now more mature and experienced in terms of my decision-making and captaincy skills. Really waiting eagerly to work with every individual in the team, and build that synergy which could really help the team perform at a different level. I'm just going to love the responsibility, and I thrive under pressure,” he said.
Recalling his happy moments at the recent IPL auction, he said his heart kept on pumping as KKR and some other franchise went for him, "I remember the battle was going on. We, all of our (India) team members were sitting together and watching the Auction on TV. My heart was pumping, and I wasn't able to control my emotions. I was trying to act relaxed, but you know, andar hi andar se, I was feeling a little nervous. Eventually, KKR got me, that feeling was amazing. I'm really proud, considering the rich history and to be coming into the KKR setup,” he said. (UNI)