Ian Bishop. (Photo by MICHAEL STEELE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Legendary commentator Ian Bishop lambasted double standards in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after some fans decided not to acknowledge captain Shreyas Iyer’s contribution to the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) prolific campaign.
The former two-time champions are having a phenomenal time in IPL 2024 as they are currently placed at the top of the table with eight wins from 11 matches. This is a tremendous turnaround for a team which finished seventh in the last couple of editions of the cash-rich league. Last year, Shreyas missed the tournament due to a back injury. This year, the Mumbai batter has returned to take charge of the Knights and former captain Gautam Gambhir was roped in as the mentor.
Both of them have worked in unison and instilled a winning mentality in the team. However, Shreyas has not received the same amount of credit for the improved performances as Gambhir. Some fans have even attributed the losses to Shreyas’ captaincy decisions and lauded Gambhir’s shrewd cricketing brain for the wins. Bishop took to social media and reminded one such fan about the current KKR skipper’s impressive captaincy numbers.
“Shreyas became DC captain in 2018 when GG stepped down after DC lost 5 of first 6 gms. DC then finished the season winning 4 of next 8 games. 2019 DC 3rd, 2020 DC 2nd. 2021 injury & only 8gms so Pant captained. To KKR 2022, new franchise, 7th. Missed 2023. 2024,” Bishop responded to fan on his post.
“So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose?” the cricketer-turned-commentator asked while questioning the double standards.
So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose?
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) May 6, 2024
It is quite evident that Gambhir has played a key role in the KKR camp and has received praise from the likes of assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and quite a few of the players. However, it is the captain who has to implement plans on the field and that is why Shreyas also deserves a lot of the credit for KKR’s sensational IPL 2024 campaign.
The Knights will take on Mumbai Indians in their last home game of the season on Saturday, May 11 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.