Former India captain Anil Kumble believes Kolkata Knight Riders have paid the price in IPL 2025 after sacking title-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer a season ago. Kumble said the franchise’s lack of consistency in retaining key players hurt their chances.
KKR lifted their third IPL trophy in 2024 with Iyer as captain while Phil Salt played a key role in the campaign. However, both players were released ahead of the 2025 season. Speaking to Star Sports, Kumble criticized the franchise’s decision to part ways with two major contributors from their winning side.
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“Two years ago, KKR won the IPL and lifted their third trophy. Two important cogs in that round were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both played a vital role in helping them win. But KKR let them both go. There is no consistency from them in terms of player retention. KKR made a wrong decision without letting skipper Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt go,” IPL said.
Kumble pointed out that while Ajinkya Rahane is a seasoned cricketer, the value of a captain who has already won an IPL cannot be ignored.
“Yes, Ajinkya Rahane is an experienced batsman. He has led Mumbai in domestic cricket and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. But he has not lifted the IPL title as a captain. Having a trophy-winning captain gives you an advantage,” Kumble said.
He further said that KKR must learn to hold on to their key players if they want to remain serious contenders.
“KKR have abandoned that advantage. They need to learn how to retain their key players. Otherwise they will continue to struggle and cannot be considered favorites to win the trophy,” he added.
HOW WAS SHREYAS IYER AS IPL CAPTAIN
After leaving KKR, Shreyas Iyer joined the Punjab Kings and quickly impressed by leading the franchise to the IPL finals in his very first season, their first appearance at the summit in almost a decade.
Kumble praised Iyer’s leadership and called him one of the most underrated captains in the tournament.
“Shreyas Iyer is definitely an underrated captain. It is not easy to win a trophy with one franchise and then go to another. There is a different management, atmosphere and team. The pressure is also different,” Kumble said.
Shreyas Iyer’s leadership in the IPL reflects this reputation. The right-hander has now led teams in three IPL finals. Before leading KKR to the title in 2024 and leading Punjab Kings to the final in 2025, Iyer also led Delhi Capitals to the 2020 IPL final where they finished runners-up after losing to Mumbai Indians.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
15 March 2026 14:34 IST
