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"When you don’t have..." - Shreyas Iyer on departure from KKR
Follow UsUnder Shreyas Iyer’s leadership, Kolkata won the IPL 2024, their first title in 10 years
Shreyas Iyer was “obviously disappointed” after not being retained by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Under Iyer’s leadership, Kolkata won the IPL 2024, their first title in 10 years. Despite winning the trophy, KKR decided to let him go.
“Certainly, I had a fantastic time winning the championship at KKR. The fan following was outstanding, they were electrifying in the stadium and I loved every moment I spent there. So obviously, we had a conversation straight after the IPL championship,” Iyer told the Indian Express.
“But for a few months, there was a layover and no concrete effort in having a retention talk. I was perplexed about what’s happening. So, because of a lack of communication, we came to a situation where we parted ways, mutually. And that’s the long and short of it.”
Talking more about his departure, Iyer added, “Yes, obviously disappointed, because when you don’t have a certain line of communication and if you get to know things one week prior to the retention date, then obviously something is lacking over there. So I had to take a call.
“Whatever is written is supposed to happen. But other than that, I would just like to say that the time I spent over there with Shah Rukh Sir, the family, all of them, was phenomenal. And obviously, winning the championship was probably an integral part of my life.”
Iyer also had a decent season with the bat, smashing 351 runs at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 146.86. After being let go by KKR, Iyer was picked by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a whooping INR 26.75 crore in the mega auction, making him the second-costliest player in the history of IPL. Iyer has also been named PBKS' new captain.
“During the auction, we were in Hyderabad, watching it from our rooms and I was expecting a good amount. But I never thought that I would exceed a point and there would be so much competition between two teams over me. Overall, I was thrilled. After a certain point, I shut the door, went into the washroom and I was like, I don’t want to listen to what’s happening.”
Iyer will next feature in the three-match ODI series against England, starting on February 6. The middle-order batter is also part of the Indian squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy.