Indian Premier League (IPL) winning captain Shreyas Iyer has broken his silence on his exit from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after a prolific season in 2024. Shreyas Iyer said the franchise has not communicated regarding his retention, leading to uncertainty over his future with team.
The 30-year-old cricketer grabbed attention in the IPL 2025 mega auction for his batting skills and management experience. He became one of the most expensive acquisitions and Punjab Kings secured him for Rs 26.75 crore. Iyer was recently named the captain of PBKS for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title.
Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in IPL 2024. However, the right-handed batsman was not retained by the franchise and he was put in the auction pool. KKR’s decision to part ways with Iyer, especially after he ended the team’s 10-year title drought, surprised fans and disappointed the player.
Many expected the batsman to be retained, but KKR chose a different path when it came time to retain. They retained players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh among others. KKR tried to bring Iyer back but could not afford him more than 10 crore rupees due to limited budget.
There was a break and no concrete effort in the retention talk – Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer said he was disappointed with the lack of communication from Kolkata Knight Riders regarding his retention. He recalled that immediately after the victory, they had a conversation about staying, but there was no “concrete effort” from KKR to stay.
“Of course, it was fantastic for me to win the championship in KKR. The fan following has been outstanding; they were electrifying in the stadium and I loved every moment I spent there. So obviously we talked (about the retention) right after the IPL championship,” he was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
“But for several months there was a pause and no concrete efforts to talk about retention. I was confused by what was happening. So, due to the lack of communication, we came to a situation where we separated from each other. And that’s it in a nutshell,” he added. is Iyer.
Whatever is written is meant to happen – Shreyas Iyer
With no update on his future and only learning about the situation a week before the retention date, Shreyas said he has decided to enter the IPL 2025 mega auction, accepting that whatever happens, must be.
“Yes, obviously disappointed, because when you don’t have a certain line of communication and you find out about things a week before the hold date, then obviously something is missing there. So I had to accept the invitation. Whatever is written, should happen,” he added.
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