Shreyas Iyer’s Departure Explained: KKR CEO Reveals Crucial Chat

Following weeks of speculation, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore has shed light on the reasoning behind not retaining 2024 IPL-winning captain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the mega auction. Despite leading KKR to a commanding title win, Iyer parted ways with the franchise, which opted to retain six other players. Mysore hinted that the decision was largely driven by Iyer, who reportedly wanted to test his market value in the auction.

“He was No. 1 on our list (for retention). He’s captain and we have to build everything around the leadership. We picked him for this specific reason in 2022,” Mysore told RevSportz.

Mysore explained that the retention process is based on mutual agreement, which was not achieved with Iyer.

“What is fundamental to a retention is that it’s a matter of mutually agreeing. It’s not a one-sided right that the franchise has, the player has to consider various factors and agree,” said Mysore.

“Somewhere along the line, if that agreement doesn’t happen because of factors like money or someone wants to test their value, then the decision is influenced,” he added.

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Mysore also mentioned that, despite his good rapport with Iyer, he respected the batter’s wish to test his auction value and emphasized the importance of players prioritizing their financial considerations.

“In this case, it so happened that he felt it was best, and we’re always supportive of the players when it comes to going to the auction and testing their value,” Mysore added.

With teams such as Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in need of captains, Iyer could be highly sought after in the 2025 IPL mega auction.

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