There were rumors that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would keep Shreyas Iyer after he guided them to their first IPL title in ten years during the 2024 season. However, similar to Eoin Morgan’s situation in 2021, KKR let Iyer go prior to the mega auction last November. Breaking his silence on the subject, Iyer, who was acquired by Punjab Kings for INR 26. 75 crore during the auction in Jeddah, pointed out that his exit was due to a “lack of communication. ”
Since reaching the final under Morgan in 2021, KKR had placed seventh in successive seasons. Iyer missed the 2023 IPL because of a back injury but returned in 2024 to lead KKR, with mentor Gautam Gambhir, to their third title ever. Despite the achievement, the Indian batter voiced his frustration over the slow communication regarding his retention status.
“Yes, obviously disappointed, because when you don’t have a certain line of communication and if you find out things one week prior to the retention date, then obviously something is lacking over there. So I had to make a decision. Whatever is written is supposed to happen,” Iyer described.
Iyer Reflects on Record-Breaking Bid
During the auction, Iyer briefly held the title of the most expensive player in IPL history when Punjab Kings bought him for INR 26. 75 crore, until Rishabh Pant broke that record with a INR 27 crore deal with Lucknow Super Giants.
“During the auction, we were in Hyderabad, watching it from our rooms and I was anticipating a good amount. But I never expected to surpass a threshold and that there would be so much competition between two teams for me. Overall, I was ecstatic. After a certain point, I closed the door, went into the washroom and I was like, I don’t want to hear what’s going on,” he shared.
