Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, have come under fire for their lack of communication with star players Mitchell Starc and Shreyas Iyer. Despite submitting their list of retained players to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), KKR has yet to reach out to Starc, who was a key contributor to their title victory in 2024.
Starc, who was acquired for a hefty Rs 24.75 crore in the mini-auction in December 2023, expressed his surprise at the lack of contact from KKR. “I still haven’t heard from them (KKR),” he told Australia’s The Daily Telegraph.
KKR’s silence towards Starc is not an isolated incident. The franchise also had minimal communication with captain Shreyas Iyer before the IPL retentions deadline. As reported by TimesofIndia.com, KKR had their first chat with Iyer just three days before the deadline, despite his impressive leadership in their third IPL triumph.
Sources suggest that Iyer was seeking a high retainer fee, but KKR failed to engage in timely discussions. Instead, the franchise prioritized Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who were retained for Rs 12 crore each. Rinku Singh was the top retention at Rs 13 crore, while uncapped players Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh were retained for Rs 4 crore each.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore has maintained that the franchise has “engaged in conversations” with all players, but the latest revelations by Starc and Iyer contradict this claim. Mysore’s decision to block TimesofIndia.com on WhatsApp further raises questions about KKR’s transparency.
Shreyas Iyer will now enter the IPL mega auction and is expected to attract significant interest from other franchises seeking a leadership role. KKR’s lack of communication and apparent lack of interest in retaining key players has raised concerns about the franchise’s long-term prospects.
