KKR’s decision to let Shreyas Iyer go before IPL 2025 has come under fresh scrutiny, with Anil Kumble questioning the franchise’s retention calls and arguing that Kolkata may have let go of far more than just an impactful batter. In Kumble’s reading, KKR weakened their own winning core by parting ways with two players who had played vital roles in the franchise’s most recent title run – Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt
Kumble’s assessment goes beyond routine criticism of squad management. At the heart of his argument is the belief that KKR failed to preserve continuity after a championship-winning campaign and, in doing so, lost an IPL-winning captain.
KKR let go of a winning core
“Two years ago, KKR won the IPL and lifted their third trophy. Two important cogs in that wheel were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both played crucial roles in helping them win, but KKR let both of them go. 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,” Kumble said in a JioHotstar release.
The final point gives his analysis the real edge. Kumble is not only saying that KKR released two key performers. He is arguing that the franchise moved on from a leader who had already shown he would take a side all the way. In a tournament as demanding and volatile as the IPL, that is not a minor call.
Anil Kumble then turned the focus squarely onto Shreyas, and his assessment was clear. For him, Shreyas’ value as a captain remains underappreciated, despite the evidence continuing to grow across teams and conditions.
“Shreyas Iyer is certainly an underrated skipper. It is not easy to win a trophy with one franchise and then go to another. There is a different management, atmosphere and a team. The pressure is also different. The new franchise he joined had not played in the final in the last 10 years, and in just his first season with the Punjab Kings, he took them to the final. I was not just impressed by his captaincy, but the way he led the team from the front,” the former Indian skipper added.
That is what makes Kumble’s criticism of KKR sharper than a simpler hindsight reaction. His point is not just that Shreyas was good for Kolkata once; it is that he remained influential the moment he walked into a completely different environment. For Kumble, that only strengthens the case that KKR got a major decision wrong – and that in letting Shreyas go, they have underestimated one of the league’s most effective captains.
