Shreyas Iyer is having quite a phenomenal start to the IPL campaign as he led Kolkata Knight Riders to two wins out of three games, and the side has been placed second in the points table. After a defeat in the second game against RCB, Kolkata fought back hard and emerged victorious in a game against Punjab Kings. As Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins is set to join the squad, head coach Brendon McCullum believes the presence of Cummins alongside Shreyas will provide a great advantage to the latter.
McCullum confirmed on Monday that Cummins, who arrived last week, is available for selection for their next game against the Mumbai Indians. The head coach further said that the Australian Test skipper will add an element of leadership for KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer. In a statement released by KKR, McCullum was quoted saying,
"Pretty delighted to get Pat back. He is a wonderful human being and can blend with the environment easily." McCullum, who seemed highly impressed with Australian, admitted that Cummins added another layer of leadership in and around Shreyas. "We have got a few selection headaches. We have more options now to pick from, which is a good problem, and hopefully, we get them right," the KKR head coach added.
The inclusion of Cummins in the squad will surely bolster KKR's pace attack, which is already doing phenomenally well and headed by experienced Umesh Yadav, which has led the Knight Riders to two wins out of three games. KKR mentor David Hussey hailed Yadav by saying, "He is one of the best bowlers in the league. He is frequently taking wickets and making valuable contributions to the team's triumph."
The Riders will lock horns with Mumbai Indians on Wednesday (April 6), and the head coach is not taking their opponents lightly. McCullum said, "Mumbai are Mumbai! We know what they are capable of. They know what they are doing. We respect them, their management, the coaching staff and the leadership."
