Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer has issued a clarification over his comment about Sourav Ganguly which was made after the toss of Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2020. Speaking after the toss before Delhi’s match against the Kings XI Punjab Iyer courted controversy when he lavished praise on the BCCI president while naming people who have helped him in establishing a successful career in the gentlemen's game. "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," Iyer's comment has raised an eyebrow among other franchises and even officials of the BCCI for naming Ganguly among the individuals who have been helping him and the team this season. "It would've been understandable had Iyer credited Ganguly in general, considering he was there as mentor with Delhi Capitals until last year. But Iyer specifically mentioned Ganguly as part of the unit that's been helping him this year too," franchise owners and other board members said.
In the wake of the controversy, Iyer took to social media about his pre-match comment. Taking to Twitter, Iyer said that he only wanted to express his gratitude towards Ganguly. "My comment yesterday was to emphasize my gratitude towards the role they both have played in my personal growth as a captain," Iyer said in a tweet. Ganguly served as the mentor of the Delhi Capitals last season before the former Team India skipper was appointed as the chief of the BCCI in October last year. As per the new BCCI constitution under Lodha reforms, the president of the apex cricket board is not allowed to remain associated with any of the IPL franchises. Talking about Delhi Capitals the team won their first game of the IPL 2020 by one run against KXIP after the match ran into a super over. The team will play their next game against the Chennai Super Kings on September 25, 2020, at the Dubai International Stadium.
