Indian T20 League: 3 candidates who can captain Kolkata if Shreyas Iyer misses out

Shreyas Iyer dealt an injury blow in the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series. He complained of lower back pain and had to be taken for scans. The preliminary reports do not reveal much, but the batter is surely ruled out for the upcoming ODI series against Australia. Another important thing to ponder is if he will be available for the forthcoming Indian T20 League that starts on March 31. Iyer captains the Kolkata franchise in the coveted league, meaning they’ll have to hunt for a replacement captain if he misses out. Here are three names that may be capable candidates to lead the Kolkata franchise in the upcoming edition of the league.

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3. Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan (Source: Twitter)

The first name is that of Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan. Firstly, Shakib has a lot of experience with captaining side. Recently, Bangladesh beat England, the current holders of the 20-20 World Cup, in the ongoing T20 series. As such, Shakib makes a great shout for a captaincy role in the upcoming season of the league. Moreover, his experience in the Indian T20 League cannot be discounted. He has also won the coveted league once with the Kolkata franchise. He is a decent shout if the team decides to go for an overseas captain. However, he was recently in the news for the wrong reasons. He hit a fan in a promotional event recently. His off-the-pitch antics may make a case against him. But, his prowess is unquestioned.

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2. Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine (Source: Twitter)

The second option on this list is Kolkata’s mystery spinner, Sunil Narine. Narine has been a white-ball specialist and has immense experience in the Indian T20 League with the Kolkata franchise. He recently added another feather to his cap, captaining the Abu Dhabi franchise in the International League T20 (ILT) 2023. Narine has had many roles in the Kolkata team; he was a pinch hitter and has sometimes opened for the side. His mystery spin has always been Kolkata’s hidden weapon. As such, based on experience, on and off-field records and versatility, Narine makes a decent shout for being the captain if Shreyas Iyer misses out.

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1. Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana (Source: twitter)

Riding atop this list is an Indian option, Nitish Rana. The Indian T20 League is a league that promotes Indian captains, and Rana fits the bill with all his captaincy experience in the domestic circuit. He has been a crucial batter for the Kolkata franchise, and it is more likely that the team management will go for an Indian player to lead the side. The allrounder has recently been named the captain of Delhi for domestic tournaments. Another successful Kolkata captain, Gautam Gambhir, came through the same passage. Rana’s exploits in the league are well-documented. He is a match-winner and has had the experience of playing in the coveted league with two different franchises. He fits the bill for being the best Indian option the Kolkata management could choose.