Former KKR coach Chandrakant Pandit admitted that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a costly call by letting him go. Shreyas Iyer After their IPL 2024 title-winning season, “Unfortunately, we missed it.”Pandit, who was the head coach of KKR when the franchise released Iyer, considered the move after the batsman’s strong run with the Punjab Kings. Since joining Punjab for Rs 26.75 crore, Iyer has led the team to the IPL 2025 final, and PBKS have also gone unbeaten in their first six matches of the IPL 2026 season.“Unfortunately, we missed it,” Pandit told RevSportz on Iyer joining PBKS for Rs 26.75 crore in the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025.“Shreyas is a brilliant player who won trophies as captain for KKR, and I admire the way he has managed the team. But sometimes, certain circumstances and the broader strategy forces you to let such players go. Obviously, as a coach at KKR, I felt bad about it. It wasn’t just a one-goal job, but it wasn’t just a job for us.” Shreyas; I feel the same way about Phil Salt and others.”The veteran coach, along with Shreyas and mentor Gautam Gambhir, was part of the IPL 2024 title-winning setup for KKR.The pundit also spoke about Iyer’s absence from India’s T20I side. Fierce competition for locations often drives such decisions, he said.“Shreyas has been a part of the Indian team and has put in strong performances. Unfortunately, he was left out, but such situations are not uncommon. When building a team, there is always the challenge of balancing experience with the need to develop new talent. With the depth of talent available, it becomes difficult to provide opportunities to every deserving player.”“There is always competition, and more often than not, equal alternatives are available. That said, Shreyas has led Punjab impressively, and his batting reflects considerable maturity. He plays with a fearless mentality, less on the situation and more on winning the game, which is reflected in the construction of his innings,” the 64-year-old added.Iyer has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the last two IPL seasons. In five innings this year, he has scored 208 runs at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 182.45.
