Shreyas Iyer reveals reasons behind his surprising KKR exit
What's the story
Shreyas Iyer, the celebrated Indian cricketer and former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain, has revealed why he left the team unexpectedly. Although he played a crucial role in KKR's IPL 2024 victory, he wasn't retained by the franchise. Speaking to The Indian Express at the Idea Exchange, Iyer mentioned "lack of communication" as the main reason behind the decision.
Departure details
Iyer's unexpected release from KKR
Iyer's shocking release from KKR before the IPL 2025 auction, despite having led them to their first IPL title in a decade, rattled the cricketing world. Renowned for his tactical genius and composure, Iyer was instrumental in resurrecting KKR's fortunes under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir. However, he was excluded from retention talks for months which resulted in his discontent with the franchise.
Retention frustration
Iyer's disappointment with KKR's communication
Iyer also expressed his disappointment with KKR not reaching out to him until the last 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." This is similar to former KKR captain Eoin Morgan's release despite having led them to IPL 2021 final.
Auction excitement
Iyer is the 2nd most expensive player in IPL history
Iyer, now the second most expensive player in IPL auction history, shared his bidding experience. He said, "I was in Hyderabad watching the auction. The competition for me exceeded my expectations." For a brief moment, Iyer became the costliest player in IPL history when Punjab Kings acquired him for ₹26.75 crore. However, Rishabh Pant later broke the record with a ₹27 crore deal with Lucknow Super Giants.
Stats
Iyer's batting stats in IPL
In his IPL career, Iyer has scored 3,127 runs at 32.23. He owns 21 fifties from 116 matches. Iyer scored 752 runs in 29 matches for KKR. He averaged 34.18 (50s: 5). For Delhi Capitals, Iyer racked up a total of 2,375 runs at an average of 31.67 with a strike rate of 123.96 and hit 16 half-centuries. His highest score is 96.
Information
Iyer's captaincy numbers in IPL
As per ESPNcricinfo, Iyer has managed in 70 IPL games to date. He has clocked 38 wins and 29 defeats. Two other matches were tied with one game not having a result. He led KKR in 29 matches (W17 L11 NR1).