Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore has revealed the thought process behind not retaining IPL 2024-winning captain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the mega auction. Under the captaincy of Shreyas, KKR ended the 10-year trophy drought in 2024 and the team became the champion, but apart from Shreyas, the franchise retained six other players in the retention list. Many reports had come out regarding this and it was being told that Shreyas was demanding more salary from KKR. Now Mysore has said that it was completely Shreyas’s decision to part ways with the franchise. KKR has nothing to do with it and that is why he was not retained. He also hinted that Shreyas wanted to test his market value in the auction.
Mysore said, ‘If some factors come into the agreement, like money or if someone wants to test his market value, then the decision is affected.’ However, Mysore revealed that he has a good relationship with Shreyas but he wanted to see his market value in the auction. Mysore was happy to support this decision of Shreyas. He stressed the importance of players prioritizing their commercial value.
Mysore said, ‘In this case, what happened was that they felt this was the best time to learn about themselves. We always support the players when it comes to going into the auction and testing their value. Apart from KKR, many other teams are looking for a captain in the auction this year. These include teams like Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). In such a situation, the demand for Shreyas may increase in the mega auction.