Former India captain Anil Kumble criticized the Kolkata Knight Riders for releasing Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt ahead of IPL 2025. The cricketer-turned-commentator questioned the franchise’s retention policy after their title-winning campaign in the 2024 season.
Under Shreyas Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders won their third IPL title in 2024. Phil Salt also played a key role, scoring 435 runs that season. However, the management released both players before the next edition, and the team eventually finished seventh in the points table last year.
KKR Took the Wrong Decision by Letting Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt Go - Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble pointed out the lack of consistency in the franchise’s management decisions. He said releasing a proven title-winning captain like Shreyas Iyer left the team without strong leadership.
"Two important cogs in that wheel were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both played crucial roles... There is no consistency from them in terms of player retention. KKR took the wrong decision by letting Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt leave (and) that has left them without an IPL-winning captain."
"Yes, Ajinkya Rahane is an experienced campaigner. He has led Mumbai in domestic cricket and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. But he has not lifted the IPL title as a captain yet. Having a skipper who has won the trophy gives you an advantage. KKR let go of that advantage."
Shreyas Iyer Is Certainly an Underrated Skipper - Anil Kumble
After leaving Kolkata Knight Riders, Shreyas Iyer showed his leadership ability by guiding Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final, where they finished as runners-up. Anil Kumble praised Iyer for leading a struggling team to the final in his very first season.
"Shreyas Iyer is certainly an underrated skipper. It is not easy to win a trophy with one franchise and then go to another. The new franchise he joined had not played in the final in the last 10 years, and in just his first season with Punjab Kings, he took them to the final."
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