Indian Premier League (IPL) winning captain Shreyas Iyer has broken his silence on his exit from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after a prolific 2024 season. Shreyas Iyer said that there has been a lack of communication from the franchise regarding his retention, which has led to uncertainty over his future with the team.
The 30-year-old cricketer attracted attention in the IPL 2025 mega auction for his batting skills and leadership experience. He turned out to be one of their most expensive acquisitions, with Punjab Kings securing him for Rs 26.75 crore. Iyer was recently appointed as the captain of PBKS for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title
Shreyas Iyer led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the title of IPL 2024. However, the franchise did not retain the right-handed batsman and he was placed in the auction pool. KKR's decision to offload Iyer, especially after he ended the team's 10-year title drought, surprised fans and disappointed the player.
Many expected to keep the dough, but KKR chose a different path when it came time to keep the dough. They have retained players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh and others. KKR tried to bring back Iyer but could not afford him beyond Rs 10 crore due to their limited budget.
There was a pause and no tangible effort in having a conversation on employee retention – Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer said he was disappointed with the lack of communication from Kolkata Knight Riders regarding his retention. He noted that they had a conversation about retention immediately after the win, but there was no “concrete effort” by KKR regarding retention.
“I definitely had a great time winning the tournament at KKR. The fan following was great; they were exciting on the field, and I loved every moment I spent there. Obviously we had a conversation (about retention) right after the IPL,” he added.
“But for a few months, there was a pause and there was no concrete effort in having a conversation about retention. I was confused about what was happening. So, due to lack of communication, we reached a situation where we mutually parted ways. “This It is long and short.
Everything that is written is meant to happen – Shreyas Iyer
With no updates on his future and only learning of the situation a week before the retention date, Shreyas said he decided to go into the IPL 2025 mega auction, accepting that whatever happens is the intended one.
“Yes, I'm obviously disappointed, because when you don't have a certain line of communication and if you find out about things one week before the retention date, then obviously something is missing there. So, I had to take a call. What's written,” he added. “It's supposed to happen.”
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