Shreyas Iyer is set to depart from the Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Mumbai batter has proven to be a tough negotiator in discussions with the team’s management, leading the defending champions to seemingly move on from their captain.
It is now confirmed that he will not be included on KKR’s retention list, which will be submitted to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday evening.
While there remains the option to exercise the Right to Match (RTM) card, that decision will come at the auction next month.
Franchises typically prefer Indian players as captains, making Iyer a potential candidate for leadership roles, especially following KKR’s championship victory last season.
Reports indicate that he has attracted interest from several franchises.
Iyer is believed to be seeking a significant fee.
While it’s natural for players to have a heightened view of their worth, IPL professionals often evaluate factors such as fitness issues, recent performances, and current international status before making decisions. The valuation in the IPL is heavily driven by data analysis.
Currently, Iyer earns INR 12.25 crore, having been bought by KKR in the 2022 auction.
In that season, he scored 401 runs over 14 matches at an average of 30.85.
In the 2024 season, he scored 50 runs fewer, averaging 39 due to five unbeaten innings.
He missed the 2023 season because of a recurring back injury that required surgery.
Overall, in nine seasons and 115 matches, he has accumulated 3,127 runs at an average of 32.24 and a strike rate of 127.48.
He currently does not have a central BCCI contract and has fallen out of favor with the national selectors after missing a Ranji Trophy match last season.
As the IPL retention deadline approaches, teams are grappling with the issue of whether they can engage with players still under contract.
This concern has been raised with the BCCI.
Negotiations may be facilitated by player agents who are reportedly active behind the scenes, discussing substantial sums.
However, the unpredictability of auction dynamics raises questions about how a player can be assured of a major bid.
The new RTM rule allows a franchise to match a player’s bid to a pre-agreed value, but this option is only exercised if the original franchise decides to use it.
For instance, if a player enters the auction with an assurance of INR 25 crore, and bidding ends at INR 15 crore, the competing team can only raise it to INR 25 crore if the original franchise opts to exercise the RTM.
Without that RTM, the player could be stuck at the lower bid.
This situation raises broader questions for players being promised high bids at the auction ahead of the retention deadline.
With ten teams and six RTMs available for each, the auction could see at least 25 RTMs, if not all 60.
However, there’s always the possibility that the pre-bid arrangements and promises may not be fulfilled.
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