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Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif reckons that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) must throw their weight behind Shreyas Iyer for the IPL 2025 season and continue to back him as captain. Admitting that the batter has not been in great form lately, Kaif opined that he still deserves to be the first player to be retained by KKR.
Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL for the third time under Shreyas' captaincy earlier this year. However, some experts have questioned his place in the team ahead of the mega auction for the 2025 season, citing his poor batting form.
As per BCCI's modified regulations for the Indian Premier League, each franchise can retain six players ahead of IPL 2025 - either via direct retentions or using the Right To Match (RTM) option. Each team can retain a maximum of five capped and two uncapped players.
While KKR have the option to retain the likes of Varun Chakaravarthy, Phil Salt, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, Kaif believes that Shreyas should be the first player to be retained by the Kolkata franchise. Speaking on Star Sports, he said (as quoted by Hindustan Times):
“When a team wins and becomes a champion, then you want the main players to continue playing for the team. So they would want to retain the maximum number of players, use RTM on a few and also buy fewer players in the auction.
"Talking about Iyer's batting, he may not play that well. But about his role as a captain, to lead the team to the title is a big thing. I think he has improved as a captain, he is getting better...If he can manage so many players and win you the trophy, then he deserves to be the first (to be retained),” Kaif added.
While discussing KKR's possible retention strategy ahead of IPL 2025, the 43-year-old reflected on the franchise's decision to release Eoin Morgan after the former England captain had led Kolkata to the 2021 final.
"You cannot do what you did with Morgan. He led the side to the final, but was released later and KKR struggled in the next 2-3 seasons. Retain Iyer first and let him continue as captain," Kaif stated.
Shreyas was named captain of the Kolkata franchise in 2022. He has led the team in 29 matches so far, winning 17 and losing 11, while one game ended in no result.
Shreyas Iyer's poor run of form
Shreyas (29) featured in the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka and registered poor returns, scoring 23, 7 and 8. The right-handed batter got several starts in the Duleep Trophy but failed to convert any of them into big knocks. He had the highest score of 54, leading India D against India C.
Representing Mumbai in the ongoing Irani Cup, the middle-order batter was dismissed for 8 in the second innings against the Rest of India. He scored 57 in the first essay before falling to left-arm pacer Yash Dayal.
