“Shreyas Iyer ignored Gautam Gambhir”- Ramandeep Singh on ex-KKR captain’s self-belief

Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir combo won KKR their third IPL title in 2024.

After leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2024, Shreyas Iyer put a stop to the 12-year wait. Iyer was not retained by KKR before the IPL 2025 mega auction, and the team did not place a bid for him at the mega auction, even though he was the victorious captain.

Although the team didn’t provided an official explanation, KKR decided not to keep Shreyas Iyer for the next IPL season. It may be the result of a combination of financial planning, auction dynamics, or strategic reorganization, according to speculation.

KKR had won their third IPL title in 2024 with Shreyas Iyer as captain and Gautam Gambhir as mentor, with Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach. In comparison, after KKR released Iyer ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, they handed the leadership role to Ajinkya Rahane.

Self-belief Shreyas Iyer had was very good: Ramandeep Singh reveals Iyer ignoring KKR management

However, Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished 8th in IPL 2025 points table with five wins and seven losses in 14 games.   

Ramandeep Singh, one of the six players retained by the team, provided some startling information. He said that Shreyas used to disregard the counsel of the management, including the then mentor Gambhir, and make his own judgments during his tenure as captain.

In a podcast with Raj Shamani on YouTube, which was uploaded on March 22, Ramandeep said that even after getting instructions from the management, Shreyas Iyer used to do what he thought was best.

“We used to get instructions from outside, but whatever he (Shreyas) felt was right, we have to do this, he used to go and do it. The self-belief he had is very good,” Ramandeep said in a podcast.

As he considered the circumstances, Ramandeep seemed to make a sly jab at Shreyas Iyer. Iyer was acquired by Punjab Kings for an incredible INR 26.75 crore after KKR decided not to retain him.

By suggesting that leaving a team just for financial gain reveals a lot about a player’s priorities, Ramandeep’s remarks subtly questioned Iyer’s choice. He pointed out that even though they used to play for much less, some cricket players prioritize money over loyalty. His remarks emphasized the difference between Iyer’s profitable transfer to a new squad and his loyalty to KKR.

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