Indian batter Shreyas Iyer has finally opened up about his surprising omission from his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise’s  (KKR) retention list for the 2025 season. Shreyas Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title victory last year, expressed his disappointment over being left out of franchise’s retention list. 

Despite his stellar performances and exemplary leadership, Shreyas was not among the players retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL auction. KKR retained Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, and  Ramandeep Singh. 

However, Shreyas Iyer was acquired by Punjab Kings for INR 26.75 crores. Moreover, he has also been named the side’s skipper for the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). 

"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 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's 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," Shreyas said during an interview with Indian Express.

"Yes, obviously disappointed, because when you don't have a certain line of communication and if you get to know things one week prior to the retention date, then obviously something is lacking over there. So I had to take a call. Whatever is written is supposed to happen. But other than that, I would just like to say that the time I spent over there with Shah Rukh Sir, the family, all of them, was phenomenal. And obviously, winning the championship was probably an integral part of my life," Iyer said.

Recently, Shreyas Iyer bolted into India’s squad for the Champions Trophy, who is set to begin on February 19.