IPL 2024 champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced their IPL 2025 retention players list containing names of six players. Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, and many others left behind. KKR opted to retain Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ramandeep Singh for another season. Many cricket fans were shocked to see KKR did not mention Venkatesh Iyer’s name in the list. Venkatesh Iyer was a standout performer for the Purple Brigade in IPL 2024.
Iyer Said This On an Interview
Iyer said in a recent interview that he would love to see his name on KKR’s retention players list. “KKR has had very good retention. I think they have covered easily 14-16 overs, and with the bat, they have almost covered five positions. So, they had great retention, but I would have loved to be on that list. KKR have given me a big breakthrough, and I have given everything for KKR, and beyond cricket, there’s something called emotion,” he said to RevSports.
‘Makes Me Tear-eyed That My Name Is Not On The Retention List’
“This is a family. There’s so much emotion. It kind of makes me teary-eyed that my name is not on the retention list, but I am a practical guy. I understand how it works. I was on the receiving end of being one of the retentions in 2022, and I knew how it feels to be retained and to be left out as well. So, I think KKR have had great retention; I’m really happy for that. I would love to be there, and the doors are open. If I have a good auction, then I might still end up playing for the team I love the most.”
Venkatesh Iyer’s Stats for KKR, IPL 2024
Iyer was in good form last season. According to the stats published on the Kolkata Knight Riders official website, Iyer hit four 50s in IPl 2024 and scored a total of 370 runs in 15 matches for KKR, with an average of 46.25 and a 158.79 strike rate. His highest score was 70 against the Mumbai Indians. Venkatesh Iyer also has a century in his IPL career.