“I was perplexed about what’s happening” - Shreyas Iyer’s huge statement on KKR not retaining him for IPL 2025

Reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) winning captain Shreyas Iyer has opened up about his exit from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after a prolific 2024 season. The skipper was not among the retained players for the franchise, as he entered the auction pool to be picked up by the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

The majority expected the partnership between Iyer and KKR to flourish further as he had led the franchise to their third title, ending a 10-year wait. However, by the time the three-year cycle ended, and the retentions were to be made, the team pursued a different route.

The likes of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh were retained instead. KKR were initially in the race to bring back the player, but had to bow out after the INR 10 crore mark due to their restricted purse.

Iyer recalled how there was no 'concrete effort' by KKR regarding the retention.

"We had a conversation straight after the IPL championship. 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," Iyer said at the Idea Exchange (via The Indian Express).

Former KKR pacer Mitchell Starc had also lamented the lack of communication from the management as the retention deadline approached.

"I had to take a call" - Shreyas Iyer on returning to the auction pool for IPL 2025 mega auction

Iyer was one of the most sought-after players in the mega auction. His ability with the bat, and his leadership experience made him one of the costliest buys in the event. He eventually reunited with head coach Ricky Ponting after PBKS shelled out INR 26.75 crore for his services.

Iyer stated that with no updates regarding his fate, he had to take the auction route.

"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," Iyer said (as per the aforementioned source).

The right-handed batter was recently named captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS). This marks the third franchise he will be leading after the Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.