NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer’s release by Kolkata Knight Riders, despite leading them to an IPL title this year, left fans surprised. However, legendary Sunil Gavaskar has proposed an intriguing idea for Iyer’s future in the IPL.
Iyer, who joined KKR in 2022 and took over as captain, missed the entire IPL 2023 season due to a back injury.
Gavaskar reckons KKR will bid to reacquire their title-winning captain, Iyer, similar to his earlier prediction regarding Rishabh Pant. However, he emphasized that negotiations over the fee could lead to a disagreement.
With a limited purse of Rs 51 crore and no Right to Match (RTM) card, KKR find themselves in a challenging position ahead of the auction.
“When KKR won last year (IPL 2024), Shreyas Iyer was the captain. As I said earlier for Rishabh Pant as well, at times, there could be a disagreement on the fees,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports’ show ‘Game Plan’.
Iyer has set his base price at Rs 2 crore. His performance last season was impressive, amassing 351 runs in 14 innings at an average of 39, with a strike rate of 146.86.
“However, I also feel once Shreyas Iyer comes into the auction, KKR might also bid for his services. If KKR don’t bid, I feel Delhi will do that,” Gavaskar added.
Gavaskar suggests that Delhi Capitals will likely target Iyer in the auction, as they will need a new captain if Rishabh Pant is not part of the team.
“Delhi will want him because they will also need to find a captain if Rishabh Pant isn’t in their team. So I feel Delhi will definitely try to use the RTM card or bring Rishabh Pant back into their team at the auction,” he said.