'He is there to console players on bench' - Shreyas Iyer clarifies his controversial remarks on KKR CEO

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer has clarified his controversial remarks on the CEO of the franchise. The right-handed batter, following his team’s win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday (May 14), stated that the CEO does the job of consoling the players who couldn’t make it to the line-up. Notably, KKR have made changes more than any other team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, and the same raised questions over the clarity of thoughts in the camp.

Amid this, Shreyas’ comments from KKR’s previous match, which took place on Monday, caused a fuss in the cricket world. The 27-year-old stated that the CEO of the franchise, Venky Mysore, is involved in the team selection. This massive revelation raised several eyebrows as fans and experts weren’t amused. Seeing the effect of his statement, Shreyas came up with a clarification on the CEO’s role.

“And also I want to clarify from the last interview when I took the CEO’s name, I meant he’s there to console the players who are sitting out, it’s never easy for them,” Shreyas stated after KKR’s 54-run triumph over SRH. Meanwhile, the KKR skipper had earlier said that Mysore plays a part in the team selection.

Shreyas Iyer’s statement on CEO ignited controversy

“It’s really difficult. I was also in that position once when I started playing IPL. We discuss with the coaches, CEO is also involved in team selection. Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) goes to the players and tells them if they are not playing. All of them are very supportive of the decision-making,” Iyer had said on Monday.

Meanwhile, KKR thrashed SRH in what can be called a one-sided contest to stay alive in the playoff race. Veteran all-rounder Andre Russell was the chief architect of the side’s triumph as he was brilliant with both bat and the ball. The two-time champions now have six wins in 13 league-stage matches and they must win their remaining contest against Lucknow Super Giants to keep their outside chances of qualifying for playoffs alive.