"Disappointed.." Shreyas Iyer breaks silence on not being retained by KKR before IPL 2025

Shreyas Iyer was released by KKR before the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Days after being named as captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Shreyas Iyer has shared his thoughts on not being retained by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) before the mega auction.

Iyer guided KKR to their third IPL title in 2024. Leading from the front, he scored 351 runs in 14 matches at an impressive strike rate of 147. KKR had a dominant season, finishing as table toppers with 20 points before securing victories in Qualifier 1 and the final to claim the title.

Iyer became the second-most expensive player at the IPL 2025 mega auction after being acquired by Punjab Kings for INR 26.75 crores. He has also earned a spot in India’s Champions Trophy squad.

The star batter has now revealed about what led to his departure from KKR after a highly successful season.

Shreyas Iyer opens up on not being retained by KKR for IPL 2025

Speaking at the Indian Express Idea Exchange, Shreyas Iyer expressed disappointment over not being retained by KKR for IPL 2025. He mentioned that there was no prior communication from the franchise, and he only learned about the decision a week before the retention deadline.

He said, “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,“

He further explained that there had been no concrete conversations about retention for a few months, which he cited as the primary reason for mutually parting ways with the franchise.

He continued, “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.“

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