KKR are currently placed at the bottom of the IPL 2026 points table.
The move of not retaining Shreyas Iyer after the IPL 2024 win has completely changed the fortunes of two teams. Firstly, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which ended its decade-long drought to lift the silverware for the third time. The other one is the Punjab Kings (PBKS), which has now been transformed into a team to beat after roping in the ace skipper in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
However, the former KKR coach, Chandrakant Pandit, has recently opened up on the thoughts to not retain their title-winning captain, Shreyas, after a successful campaign two years back.
It was a difficult call to release the marquee player just after he had led the squad to lift the title. However, while acknowledging Shreyas’ contributions to the side, the ex-head coach also spoke about how the situation demanded them making that decision. Besides the skipper, KKR had also released their star opener Phil Salt, who had notched up multiple match-winning partnerships with veteran all-rounder Sunil Narine at the top and was one of the key architects behind their third-time victory.
“Shreyas is a wonderful player who won the trophy for KKR as captain, and the way he has handled the team. But sometimes, certain circumstances force you to leave such players. Because there are big strategies,” he stated to 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. It’s not only Shreyas, but I think Salt or other players when we talk about it,” added Pandit.
After being released by the franchise, the star Indian batter was acquired by PBKS for a whopping price of INR 26.75 crore. But interestingly, Shreyas never seemed to be under the price-tag pressure. Instead, he registered a stunning comeback to qualify his new team to the final after 11 long years. There was also a noteworthy shift in his batting stats, as the 31-year-old piled up 604 runs in 17 matches of the last edition, striking at a fierce rate of 175.07.
This year, the Shreyas-led PBKS claimed a new record in IPL’s history. They are the only team so far to stay unbeaten in the first six fixtures of any edition of the league. Moreover, the Punjab skipper has showcased a scorching-hot form, scoring 208 runs in five innings at a blistering strike rate of 182.45.
On the other hand, with 403 runs in 13 matches, Salt played a pivotal role in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden victory in the previous edition. The English player has also started off the ongoing IPL 2026 with a similar form, notching up 202 runs in six appearances, including two half-centuries.
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Pandit also shared his views on the current struggles of the three-time winners as KKR kicked off the IPL 2026 with five losses on the trot. However, with the win against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Ajinkya Rahane and Co. will hope to bounce back in the next phase of the ongoing edition.
“Things aren’t working for KKR at the moment. It’s not about a lack of effort. There have been a few setbacks too. Sunil Narine wasn’t fully fit, and Varun didn’t perform well and was also dealing with fitness issues. These kinds of factors create an imbalance in the team. The bowling unit has also been under pressure,” said their former head coach.
“Having been part of the team as a former coach, I understand how it feels. Unfortunately, the bad days seem to be coming repeatedly. It was good to see them win the first game against Rajasthan Royals. There are still seven matches left, and they can build on that,” he noted.
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