Anil Kumble Criticises Kolkata Knight Riders for Releasing Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt After IPL 2024
Former India captain Anil Kumble has strongly criticised the decision by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release key players Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt following their title-winning campaign in the Indian Premier League 2024 season.
Kumble believes the move was a “wrong decision” and warned that unless the franchise learns the importance of retaining its core players, it cannot be considered a serious title contender in future seasons.
Kumble Questions KKR’s Retention Strategy
Speaking in a JioHotstar release, Kumble pointed out that both Iyer and Salt played crucial roles in helping KKR secure their third IPL title.
“Two years ago, KKR won the IPL and lifted their third trophy. Two important cogs in that wheel were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both played crucial roles in helping them win, but KKR let both of them go,” Kumble said.
According to him, the lack of consistency in player retention has weakened the franchise’s chances of remaining dominant in the league.
“There is no consistency from them in terms of player retention. KKR took the wrong decision by letting Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt leave, and that has left them without an IPL-winning captain,” he added.
Iyer and Salt’s Success After Leaving KKR
After departing KKR, both players went on to make significant contributions to their new teams. Iyer joined the Punjab Kings and quickly proved his leadership ability by guiding the franchise to the IPL final for the first time in nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, Salt moved to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he played an important role in helping the team secure its maiden IPL title.
Kumble praised Iyer’s leadership qualities and described him as an underrated captain.
“Shreyas Iyer is certainly an underrated skipper. It is not easy to win a trophy with one franchise and then go to another team with a different management and atmosphere,” he said.
Leadership Concerns for KKR
While KKR now have experienced campaigner Ajinkya Rahane leading the side, Kumble noted that the veteran batter is yet to win an IPL trophy as a captain.
“Yes, Ajinkya Rahane is an experienced campaigner and has led teams in domestic cricket and the IPL. But he has not lifted the IPL title as captain yet,” Kumble said.
He emphasised that having a captain who has already won the tournament can give a team a psychological advantage.
“Having a skipper who has won the trophy gives you an advantage. KKR let go of that advantage,” he added.
Pujara Praises SRH Opening Pair
In a separate discussion, former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara praised the explosive opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head from the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Pujara even compared them with the famous partnership of Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, claiming the current SRH pair may be even more destructive.
“In the last couple of seasons, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head have been one of the most destructive opening pairs in IPL history,” Pujara said.
However, he also pointed out that SRH must improve their performance in away matches if they want to remain consistent contenders in the tournament.
As IPL teams continue to reshape their squads, Kumble’s criticism highlights the importance of building stability through smart retention decisions something he believes KKR must address if they want to return to the top.
