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 there was a lack of communication from the franchise in regarding his retention, leading to uncertainty about his future with the team.
The 30-year-old cricketer has grabbed attention in the IPL 2025 mega auction due to his batting skills and his driving experience. He became one of the most expensive acquisitions with Punjab Kings securing him for Rs 26.75 crore. Iyer was recently named the PBKS captain for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to their IPL 2024 title
Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to their IPL 2024 title. However, the right-handed batsman was not retained by the franchise and was placed in the auction fund. KKR's decision to part ways with Iyer, especially after he ended the team's 10-year drought, surprised fans and disappointed the player.
Many expected the batsman to be retained, but KKR chose a different path when it came time for the retentions. They retained players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh among others. KKR tried to bring back Iyer but could not afford to go beyond Rs 10 crore due to their limited budget.
There was a layover and no concrete effort to have a hold-up talk – Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer said he was disappointed with the lack of communication from Kolkata Knight Riders regarding his retention. He recalled that they had a conversation about retention immediately after the win, but there was no “concrete effort” from KKR in terms of retention.
“Definitely, I had a fantastic time winning the championship at KKR. The fan following was remarkable; they were electrifying in the stadium and I loved every moment I spent there. So obviously we had a conversation (about retention) right after the IPL championship,” he was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
“But for several months, there was a standoff and no concrete effort to have a retention discussion. I was perplexed about what was going on. So, because of the lack of communication, we ended up in a situation where that we broke up with each other. And that's the long and short of it,” Iyer added.
Whatever is written must happen – Shreyas Iyer
With no update on his future and barely 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 detention date, then obviously there's something missing there. So I had to make a phone call. Whatever is written must happen,” he added.
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