IPL 2023: 3 players who can lead KKR in Shreyas Iyer's absence

Kolkata Knight Riders entered into the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. But, the two-time IPL champions failed to get their act together and had a dismal performance in the marquee event. They finished in the seventh position with six wins in 14 games. As KKR gear up to put an improved performance in IPL 2023, they might suffer a major setback as Shreyas could miss the tournament due to a back injury. 

The Indian batter complained of back pain during the recently concluded fourth Test against Australia and due to the injury, he did not take part latter in the game. Also, Shreyas has been sidelined for the upcoming ODI series against the Aussies. It is still uncertain whether he would be able to achieve full fitness for the 16th IPL edition which is set to kickstart on March 31.

If Shreyas does not take part in the forthcoming season of the cash-rich league, KKR will need to appoint a new skipper for the season. Let us look at the candidates for Kolkata’s captaincy position.

Here are three players who can lead KKR in Shreyas Iyer's absence

3. Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana has been a consistent performer in the Indian domestic circuit. He has piled on 2073 runs in 66 List-A matches at an average of 39.11, and bagged 41 wickets at an economy of 4.64. Coming to the shortest format,  the 29-year-old has amassed 3862 runs in 161 matches at a strike rate of 136.27 and picked up 40 scalps at an economy of 6.99.

Nitish has proven his mettle in the lucrative T20 tournament as well. He has obliterated bowlers with his marauding batting display and stamped his authority on the cricket field. Nitish has been an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ set-up since 2018 and has aggregated 1744 runs in 74 games for KKR at a strike rate of 135.61. 

The southpaw is the current captain of the Delhi domestic team in white-ball formats and has done a decent job in the role. Therefore, the Kolkata franchise could hand him the leadership duties of the side for the upcoming season, if Shreyas is unavailable.