Top five worst releases by KKR in IPL history ft. Shubman Gill & Shreyas Iyer

KKR have released a few big players from their squad in the IPL.

Releasing players is part and parcel of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but sometimes those decisions come back to haunt teams in future. Due to auctions ahead of every season, releasing players is an unavoidable activity for every team, but some decisions can prove far more disastrous than expected.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have built a strong legacy in IPL over the years with three titles in their kitty. While many players have found success with KKR, a few other big names were dropped from the squad. Their ouster also sparked debate among fans and experts alike, making them the talk of the town. On that note, below are the top five worst releases by KKR in IPL history.

Top five worst releases by KKR in IPL history

5. Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins was a key pacer for KKR till the 2022 season. However, he opted out of the IPL 2023 due to his international duties. Therefore, KKR released him from their squad ahead of IPL 2023.

The Australian stalwart was later captured by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2024 at a whopping amount of INR 20.50 crore. He was appointed as the SRH captain and led the team to the final, where they lost to KKR.

4. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc is one of the most lethal pacers in international cricket, and is currently part of Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2026. After staying away from the tournament for a few years due to his international commitments, Starc made a comeback in IPL 2024.

He was captured by KKR for INR 24.75 crore, becoming the most expensive player at that time. The left-arm pacer also played a key role in KKR’s title-winning campaign. However, they released him from the squad after the tournament.

3. Suryakumar Yadav

Even after making his international debut after turning 30, Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as one of the most destructive batters to ever play for India in T20Is. The right-handed batsman became a part of Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2018 edition and has been retained over the years.

Before joining MI, Yadav was a member of Kolkata from 2014 to 2017 editions. Notably, Surya was also part of MI at the start of his IPL career from 2011 to 2013.

2. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill is the current captain of Gujarat Titans (GT). However, he also has his IPL roots with KKR. He was part of the team from 2018 to 2021. Due to his impressive performance as an opener, he was retained by the franchise over the years.

Ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction, the newly formed Gujarat Titans picked him as one of the direct signings (draft player) alongside Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan. After Pandya parted ways with GT ahead of IPL 2024, Gill was made the new captain.

1. Shreyas Iyer

Releasing Shreyas Iyer can be termed as KKR’s biggest mistake in the tournament’s history. Under Iyer’s captaincy, the Knight Riders won their third title in the 2024 edition.

Shockingly, Iyer was released from the squad ahead of IPL 2025, a move that stunned many fans and experts. Iyer was picked by Punjab Kings and appointed as their captain in IPL 2025. Under his captaincy, PBKS reached the playoffs after 10 seasons and finished as runners-up.

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