Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday appointed India batter Shreyas Iyer as their new captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League after having bought him for a whopping Rs 12.25 crore at the recently-concluded mega auction.

Iyer, who had captained Delhi Capitals to their only IPL final back in 2020, was released after the 2021 season and it was an open secret that KKR, who were supposed to replace Eoin Morgan, were in need of a new captain.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, say hello to the NEW SKIPPER of the #GalaxyOfKnights," KKR tweeted.

Iyer was bought by KKR in the 2022 IPL auction for Rs 12.25 crore after he left his previous franchise Delhi Capitals when the retentions were announced.

Venky Mysore, CEO & MD of KKR said, “We are delighted firstly to have been able to successfully bid for Shreyas in the IPL auction & to have the opportunity for him to lead #TeamKKR. He has impressed one & all as a quality batsman at the highest level & we are confident that he will excel as a leader of #TeamKKR.”

Head Coach Brendon McCullum said - “I am very excited to have one of India’s brightest future leaders in Shreyas Iyer, take the reins at KKR. I’ve enjoyed Shreyas’ game and his captaincy skills from afar and now will look forward to working closely with him to drive forward the success and style of play we want at KKR”

Iyer said, “I am extremely honoured to have gotten the opportunity to lead a prestigious team like KKR. The IPL as a tournament brings the best players from different countries and cultures together and I look forward to leading this great group of very talented individuals. I would like to thank the owners, management and support staff of KKR for giving me the opportunity to lead this team and I am confident that we will find the right synergies to achieve the team’s goals.