Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul were some of the biggest gainers during the major reshuffling that took place across the franchises ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Iyer was purchased by two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping figure of ₹12.25 crores and named as their new captain ahead of the 15th edition.

Meanwhile, one of the two new teams to enter the competition; Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) managed to draft in KL Rahul in the pre-auction draft for ₹17 crores. This made Rahul the joint-most expensive player in the history of the league alongside Virat Kohli, who earned the same amount (from 2018 to 2021) from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Rahul was also named captain of the Sanjiv-Goenka-owned franchise.

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With Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul ready to play and lead new teams in the 2022 season, Iyer has revealed his admiration for Rahul and called him his ‘favorite captain’ for allowing him to bowl in the ODI series against South Africa. He said, “It was nice to play under him. Firstly, he is an outstanding player. The confidence he carries on the field and in the team meetings, the support that he provides for the players is great.”

In the Red Bull clubhouse, Shreyas Iyer said, “He’s got a very calm demeanor and his on-field decision making is very instinctive. I really enjoyed playing under him. Also, he gave me three overs of bowling, which none of the captains previously had done. So yeah, he’s my favorite captain!”

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With Rohit Sharma missing the series against South Africa earlier this owing to a hamstring injury, KL Rahul was seen captaining the Indian team in the three-match ODI series which India lost 3-0. Iyer bowled three overs in the third ODI in which he conceded 21 runs and got 0 wickets.