“Proving point…”- Former KKR coach breaks silence on not retaining Shreyas Iyer after IPL 2024 title win

It was a bizarre decision from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) management not to retain their captain, Shreyas Iyer, who won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by beating the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He was excellent in leadership abilities.  

Shreyas Iyer was equally excellent with the bat as he notched up 351 runs in 14 innings of the IPL 2024 at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 146.86, with the help of two half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 58 runs.

Chandrakant Pandit reflects on Shreyas Iyer’s exit from KKR

The former head coach of the Knight Riders, Chandrakant Pandit, has highlighted the reasons behind the removal of Iyer despite them winning the trophy in 2024. He reckoned that a few strategies create a few situations to leave such players.

“Unfortunately, we missed him. Shreyas is a wonderful player who won the trophy for KKR as captain, and he has handled the team. But sometimes, certain circumstances force you to leave such players. Because there are big strategies.” Pandit expressed in an interview on Revsportz.

“Obviously, as a coach, when I was at KKR, I felt bad about that. Because it was not a purposeful thing, but it didn’t work for us. I mean, it’s not only Shreyas, but I think [Phil] Salt or other players when we talk about it. I would really want to appreciate the owners and CEO, Venky Mysore. They were all very supportive.” He reflected in the same interaction.

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In the very next edition, the Mumbai-born was signed by the Punjab Kings for a massive price, where he contributed 604 runs in just 17 innings at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 175.07 with six half-centuries.

“Shreyas has been part of the Indian team and has delivered strong performances. Unfortunately, he was left out, but situations like this are not uncommon. When building a team, there is always the challenge of balancing experience with the need to groom new talent. With the depth of talent available, it becomes difficult to provide opportunities to every deserving player.” The right-handed batter concluded.

Iyer continues clinical show for Indian comeback

In the ongoing edition of the IPL, Shreyas has extended his impressive campaign with 208 runs in five innings at an average of 52 and a brutal strike rate of 182.45 with three fifties at the best score of 69 runs.

“There is always competition, and often, equally capable replacements are available. That said, Shreyas has been leading Punjab impressively, and his batting reflects noticeable maturity. He plays with a fearless mindset, focusing less on the situation and more on winning the game, which is evident in the way he constructs his innings.” The former Madhya Pradesh coach said on Iyer’s India comeback.

His next clash for the 2014 runners-up will be on April 25 against the Delhi Capitals during the afternoon at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.