Veteran coach Chandrakant Pandi is not with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise. However, under his guidance, they secured the IPL 2024 title. To the surprise of many, the KKR released captain Shreyas Iyer after that season; he was subsequently picked up in the auction by the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Since joining his new franchise, Iyer has led Punjab to the final of the 2025 season, and they remain unbeaten in the first six matches of the 2026 campaign.
“Unfortunately, we missed him,” Pandit told RevSportz on Shreyas Iyer. “Shreyas is a wonderful player who won the trophy for KKR as captain, and I admire the way he handled the team. But sometimes, certain circumstances and broader strategies force you to let such players go. Obviously, as a coach at KKR, I felt bad about that. It wasn’t a purposeful omission, but things simply didn’t work out for us. It isn’t only Shreyas; I feel the same about Phil Salt and others. I would really like to show my appreciation for the owners, Mr Shah Rukh Khan, Mr Jay Mehta, and Juhi Chawla, and CEO Venky Mysore. They were all very supportive.”
He also opined on Shreyas Iyer’s inability to secure a permanent spot in India’s T20I team as well. The former KKR coach also shared that the intense competition for places in the national team often leads to such difficult decisions as well.
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“Shreyas has been part of the Indian team and has delivered strong performances. Unfortunately, he was left out, but situations like this are not uncommon. When building a team, there is always the challenge of balancing experience with the need to groom new talent. With the depth of talent available, it becomes difficult to provide opportunities to every deserving player,” he added.
“There is always competition, and often, equally capable replacements are available. That said, Shreyas has been leading Punjab impressively, and his batting reflects noticeable maturity. He plays with a fearless mindset, focusing less on the situation and more on winning the game, which is evident in the way he constructs his innings,” the shared.
However, Shreyas Iyer has emerged as one of the most consistent performers over the last couple of IPL seasons as well. In five innings so far this year, he has smashed 208 runs at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 182.45 as well.
“It would be great to see him get another opportunity. Missing out on the World Cup is disappointing, but such decisions rest with the selection committee and shouldn’t simply be criticised. In the past, we have seen similar cases, such as Padmakar Shivalkar, who performed exceptionally in domestic cricket but could not break into the national side due to the presence of Bishan Singh Bedi,” he added.
“These situations are part of the game, and Shreyas seems to understand that well. His current form and determination show that he is focused on making a comeback rather than dwelling on his omission. His performances indicate he is serious about returning to the team, and that is exactly the attitude he is showing,” Chandrakant Pandit concluded.
