Thankful to Ganguly for being in my journey as skipper in 2019 season: Iyer

Giving a clarification on his comments made during the toss against Kings XI Punjab, Iyer on Monday said that he just wanted to express his gratitude towards Sourav Ganguly.

Giving a clarification on his comments made during the toss against Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer on Monday said that he just wanted to express his gratitude towards Sourav Ganguly.

On Sunday, during the toss against Kings XI Punjab, Shreyas Iyer had said that he learned to take responsibility from current coach Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly. As soon as the comments were made, many on social media started talking about Ganguly's potential conflict of interest. He is now the BCCI President and was with the team last season as a mentor.

"We would have bowled first as well. I have learned to take some responsibility, with the likes of Ponting and Ganguly, it makes my task a bit easier. Looking forward to a great season - We have plenty of options and it was difficult settling for the best XI - Hetmyer, Rabada, Stoinis, and Nortje make our four overseas players," Iyer had said during the toss against Kings XI Punjab.

However, on Monday, Iyer chose to clear the air as to why he thanked Ganguly. Taking to Twitter, Iyer wrote: "As a young captain, I am thankful to Ricky and Dada for being a part of my journey as a cricketer and captain last season. My comment yesterday was to emphasize my gratitude towards the role they both have played in my personal growth as a captain."

As per the new BCCI constitution under Lodha reforms, the president of the board cannot be associated with any IPL franchise.

The former India skipper had become the BCCI President in October 2019.

Delhi Capitals had defeated Kings XI Punjab in a Super Over on Sunday. The Shreyas Iyer-led side will now face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday.