Following several rumours and speculations, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore revealed the thought process behind not retaining IPL 2024-winning captain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the mega auction.
Mysore hinted that it was Shreyas’s decision, and not KKR’s, that led to his release. He also hinted that Shreyas 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,” said Mysore, speaking to RevSportz.
“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,” Mysore added.
“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,” Mysore further added.
Mysore also hinted that Shreyas wanted to test his value at the auction and the franchise happily supported his decision. Mysore emphasized the importance of players prioritizing their commercial value.
“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 concluded.
