No KKR revenge for Shreyas Iyer as Ramandeep Singh pulls off stunner to send PBKS captain back

Shreyas Iyer had led KKR to their first IPL title in 10 years but wasn't retained. He was then picked up by PBKS for Rs 26.75 crore at the mega auction.

Shreyas Iyer would have been determined when he took the field against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain has talked about how he was frustrated that KKR didn’t communicate with him regarding his retention before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

KKR’s betrayal

Shreyas had given KKR their first IPL trophy after 10 years. And the reward for their title-winning captain was letting him go to the mega auction in Jeddah.

“We had a conversation straight after the IPL championship, and I was optimistic about staying. But for months, there was no concrete discussion. It was only a week before the retention deadline that I realised where things were heading. That lack of communication was frustrating,“ Shreyas had said in January.

Shreyas Iyer departs for a 2-ball duck vs KKR

So, when he took the field against KKR as PBKS’ captain at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium, he wanted to show them what they missed out on. Priyansh Arya had been dismissed by Harshit Rana after playing a good cameo, 22 (12).

Shreyas had been in great form and started with an audacious cut shot. He missed it as Harshit smirked. The pacer bowled another back-of-the-length ball, this time way outside off. Shreyas went for it and timed it pretty well. But it went straight to Ramandeep Singh, who was placed between the third man and the deep point region.

Ramandeep dived in front, towards the ball that was coming fast, flat, and dipping. Known for his fielding, Ramandeep caught it mere centimetres above the ground. The whole stadium was silent as Shreyas departed for a 2-ball duck. His revenge will have to wait. At least until April 30, when PBKS and KKR play again.