KKR made a big mistake by leaving Shreyas-Salt, big claim of the veteran cricketer before IPL 2026

IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders: The excitement of IPL 2026 is going to start from March 28 and all the 10 teams are preparing vigorously. This season, three-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will enter the field with the intention of winning their fourth title. At the same time, before the start of the tournament, India’s great spinner Anil Kumble has given a big statement saying that KKR made a big mistake by leaving out Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt after winning the IPL 2024 title.
Kumble said that unless KKR understands the importance of retaining its key players, the team cannot be considered a strong contender for the title.

KKR’s wrong decision to let Shreyas and Salt go

Anil Kumble said in a release on ‘Jio Hotstar’, “Two years ago, KKR won the IPL and lifted its third trophy. The two important players of that victory were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both of them played an important role in the team’s victory, but KKR let both of them go. There is no continuity in terms of keeping players with them. KKR made a wrong decision by letting go of Shreyas and Salt and because of this, now they have an IPL winner. There is no captain.”

It is noteworthy that Shreyas now plays for Punjab Kings and he proved his captaincy by taking the team to the finals last season. At the same time, Salt is a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team and he made a big contribution in helping RCB win its first title in IPL 2025.

Questions raised on Ajinkya Rahane

Kumble further said that even though KKR has experienced captain Ajinkya Rahane, they have not won the IPL title yet. He believes that a captain who has won a trophy gives a big advantage to the team. He said, “Ajinkya Rahane is an experienced player. He has captained Mumbai in domestic cricket and Rajasthan Royals in IPL, but he has not yet won the IPL title as captain.”

He said, “Having a captain who has won trophies gives you an advantage. They need to learn how to retain their key players. Otherwise they will continue to struggle and cannot be considered a contender to win trophies.”

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Kumble praised Shreyas Iyer

Former Indian team captain and former coach Anil Kumble praised Shreyas Iyer. He said that Shreyas did a great job in the new environment and also with the team. It was not easy to take him to the finals in his very first season with Punjab Kings, but Shreyas did it. Kumble said, “Shreyas is often underestimated, but he is an extraordinary leader and proves himself every time.”

Also read- New uproar in Pakistan cricket! Selector demands investigation from PCB after Babar Azam was dropped from the team

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