Shreyas Iyer has expressed his disappointment over not receiving the recognition he felt he deserved after captaining Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2024. Despite leading KKR to victory, his efforts were overshadowed, and he was not retained by the franchise for the upcoming season. Instead, Punjab Kings secured him for a record INR 26.75 crore in the auction, making him one of the most expensive players in IPL history. In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, Iyer opened up about his emotions after leading KKR to the IPL title, admitting that he didn’t receive the acknowledgment he had hoped for. "The major focus was to win the IPL, and thankfully, I won it. I personally felt I didn't get the recognition I wanted after winning the IPL. But at the end of the day, as long as you have self-integrity and keep doing the right things when no one is watching, that's more important. And that is what I kept doing," he said. During the Champions Trophy, where he was India's highest scorer, Indian captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged Iyer’s impact, especially in the final, where he played a crucial role in the middle order. "Shreyas Iyer was the silent hero for us. He was very crucial in the middle order. Even when I got out, he played a crucial innings and built a partnership with Axar," Rohit said. 'Sometimes, the efforts go unnoticed' Shreyas Iyer also admitted that despite his hard work, he often felt that his contributions were overlooked. "When I talk about recognition, it's about getting that respect. It’s about the respect for whatever efforts I put on the field. I think sometimes it goes unnoticed, but I am extremely satisfied with my efforts because they weren’t easy wickets to bat on," he stated. Also Read: R Ashwin picks an Indian over Rachin Ravindra as Player of the tournament Reflecting on his challenging year, Iyer shared how he was able to regroup after being left out of the BCCI central contracts. "Extremely satisfying. To be honest, it has been a journey, and I have learned a lot in this phase of my life. After playing in the 2023 ODI World Cup, I was dropped from the BCCI contract list. That was a moment for me to reassess where I went wrong, what I should be doing, and how I needed to focus more on my fitness," he said.