‘It would have been nice to have been in the list’, Venkatesh Iyer expressed pain over not being retained in KKR

KKR released some key players, including Venkatesh Iyer, ahead of the 2025 season Venkatesh Iyer. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Kolkata Knight Riders did not include Venkatesh Iyer in their retention, even though the all-rounder has played an important role for the team in the last three seasons, especially in 2024. He scored 370 runs in 15 matches last season, in which Shreyas Iyer’s team won the title. KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. At the same time, before the 2025 season, KKR released some key players, because according to the rules only six players can be retained. KKR preferred Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh. Now Venkatesh Iyer has reacted to KKR’s retention. He said that he would have liked to be in the retention list, but he understands KKR’s strategy. He described KKR as his home and favorite IPL team and expressed hope that he would play for them again in the 2025 season if selected in the auction. KKR’s retention has been very good – Venkatesh Iyer Speaking to RevSportz, Venkatesh said, KKR’s retention has been very good. I think he has covered 14-16 overs easily and with the bat he has covered about five positions. So, they had pretty good retention, but I would have loved to be on that list. KKR has given me a big opportunity and I have given everything for KKR and beyond cricket. There is also something called emotion. “This is a family,” he said. There are a lot of emotions. It brings tears to my eyes to see that my name is not in the retention list, but I am a practical person. I understand how it works. I was one of the players retained in 2022 and I know how it feels to be retained and left out. So, I think KKR have done brilliantly, I am really happy about it. I would love to be there and the doors are open. If my auction goes well, I will probably play for the team I like the most.

‘Being a Bangalore boy, it would be nice to play for RCB’ Abhinav Manohar ahead of IPL mega auction

Abhinav is currently a part of Gujarat Titans. Abhinav Manohar (Image Credit- Twitter Batsman Abhinav Manohar, who plays domestic cricket for Karnataka, has expressed his desire to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on his home ground in the IPL. Let us tell you that the 30-year-old experienced player is currently a part of Gujarat Titans (GT) from the year 2022. In the first season with the team, Manohar played some swashbuckling innings, and contributed to the team winning its first title. After this, the next year when the team finished runner-up, they also performed well. However, the year 2024 IPL was nothing special for him. This season he got to play only two matches for GT. So now that the mega auction for IPL 2025 is round the corner, and the teams have to submit the list of retained and released players to BCCI before October 31. Meanwhile, Abhinav Manohar has expressed his desire to play in IPL for RCB. Abhinav Manohar gave a big statement Let us tell you that in a recent interview with Wisden, Abhinav Manohar said – Being a Bangalore boy, it would be good to play for RCB. In the last few years, I came to Bengaluru to play some matches on behalf of GT. But I didn’t get a chance to play, and I really wish I would have played, because I think I know this wicket well, and it’s a batting track. It would be any batsman’s dream to play in Bangalore in IPL, because it is very easy to hit a six here, the ground is quite small. Abhinav Manohar further said- I think it would be great to play for my home team also. Let’s see. I mean, the dynamics of the auction are very strange, and you don’t know which team you’re going to. So, I’m just hoping that I get a chance to go to a team that I can play for, that’s all.

(Exclusive) “It would be nice to share the dressing room with him…”, Ian Bell wants to see MS Dhoni in LLC

We will have to talk to the people (LLC administration) and see if we can include him (MS Dhoni) in the team – Ian Bell Ian Bell & MS Dhoni (Photo Source: Instagram/Getty Images) Former England legend Ian Bell was seen captaining India Capitals in Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2024. India Capitals had made it to the playoffs with three wins and 8 points from 7 matches, but the team was eliminated from the tournament after losing the match by 7 wickets against TOYAM Hyderabad in the eliminator. Meanwhile, recently Ian Bell expressed his desire to see former Indian captain MS Dhoni in Legends League cricket. Bell says that it would be great to share the dressing room with Dhoni. We need to talk to (LLC administration) – Ian Bell During an exclusive chat with CricTracker, Ian Bell was asked which legend would he pick to play in the LLC? Responding to which he said, “Oh MS Dhoni, just to play in his team… obviously I have played a lot of cricket against him. He has a lot of presence, a calm nature. But sharing the dressing room for a match would be great… pretty cool. So, we have to talk to the people (LLC administration) and see if we can include him in the team.” The former English cricketer believes that Dhoni’s presence in the dressing room will help the players a lot. Talking further he said, “But just hearing their experiences and seeing their calmness under pressure would be amazing…” MS Dhoni will be retained as an uncapped player in IPL 2025 Questions are continuously being raised regarding the future of MS Dhoni in IPL 2025. Recently, Chennai Super Kings CEO Kashi Vishwanathan had given a big statement that the franchise would hardly use the uncapped player rule for Dhoni. Under the new retention policy of IPL 2025, CSK can retain Dhoni only as an uncapped player. Because he has not played any international match for the last five years. Dhoni last played for India in the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup. At the same time, he had announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020. Let us tell you that if CSK retains Dhoni as an uncapped player, then Thala will get Rs 4 crore instead of Rs 12 crore.

“We are very nice people”- Shoaib Malik requested Team India to come to Pakistan

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has urged the Indian cricket team to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. In fact, there has been no bilateral series played between India and Pakistan since 2013 and the two teams have faced each other only in tournaments like ICC tournaments or Asia Cup since then. With the Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled to be held in Pakistan, the Indian cricket team will have to travel to the country to participate in the cricket event. However, given the turbulent political relations between the two countries, it is almost certain that the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. At the same time, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has requested the Indian team to come to Pakistan. We are good people- Shoaib Malik Malik reminded that the Pakistan team played in India in the ODI World Cup last year. Shoaib said that now India should come to us. Former all-rounder Shoaib told Cricket Pakistan, “Whatever differences there are between the two countries, that is a separate issue. It should be resolved separately. Politics should not come into sports. Last year the Pakistan team went to India and now this is a good opportunity for the Indian team as well. I think there are many players in the Indian team who have never played in Pakistan. So this will be a great opportunity for them. We are very nice people and we are very hospitable people. I am sure that the Indian team should definitely come.” PTI had recently reported that the schedule and format of the Champions Trophy were not discussed in the ICC’s annual meeting. The report said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has left the task of convincing India to come to Pakistan for the tournament to the ICC. Now it will be interesting to see whether the Indian team goes to Pakistan for this tournament or the Champions Trophy is played in a hybrid model.