IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer Opens Up About His Shocking KKR Exit

For the IPL 2025 season, Shreyas Iyer revealed his disappointment over being excluded from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) despite leading them to victory in the 2024 IPL season. After the title win, Iyer was left uncertain about his future with the franchise, citing a lack of communication regarding his retention.

KKR did not make concrete efforts to retain him, and he learned about the franchise’s decision just a week before the retention deadline. Consequently, Iyer entered the IPL 2025 mega auction and was acquired by Punjab Kings for Rs 26.75 crore. The franchise also appointed him as their captain for the upcoming season.

Certainly, I had a fantastic time winning the championship at KKR. The fan following was outstanding; they were electrifying in the stadium, and I loved every moment I spent there. So obviously, we had a conversation (about retention) straight after the IPL championship. But for a few months, there was a layover and no concrete effort in having a retention talk. I was perplexed about what was happening. So, because of a lack of communication, we came to a situation where we parted ways mutually. And that’s the long and short of it.

Iyer was surprised by KKR’s choice to retain players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Rinku Singh while parting ways with him. Despite the setback, Iyer expressed appreciation for his time at KKR and the enthusiastic fan base but acknowledged the lack of clarity around his retention, which led to their mutual parting. His exit from KKR left many fans disappointed, especially after the player’s significant contributions to ending the team’s 10-year title drought. Iyer is now set to lead Punjab Kings in IPL 2025.