The Kolkata Knight Riders management's approach has consistently been under the scanner, especially after releasing the IPL defending captain Shreyas Iyer in 2025. While Shreyas mentioned "recognition," several former cricketers did echo the same feeling. Recently, after leading Punjab Kings to the top of the table after 14 group matches, former IPL champion Robin Uthappa called out similar sentiment, tagging Iyer as "underappreciated" in KKR. Speaking to the JioStar, Uthappa appreciated Iyer's leadership stint and reminded the team's lack of appreciation for their winning captain. Uthappa said, "Shreyas has always been an exceptional captain. You always sensed that he felt underappreciated at KKR despite adding value there. He moved to a franchise where not much had been achieved historically — and then went on to win it for them. That says a lot about his leadership and belief." Read also: Can MI Win IPL 2025 From Eliminator? History Says No Shreyas joined KKR in 2022. Unfortunately, the team completed the season at the seventh spot. 2023 was off for him due to injury issues and Nitish Rana led the team. And in 2024, he came back and had a top two finish after the group stage before winning the title for KKR after a decade. The last time KKR won their title before 2024 was in 2014, while defeating Punjab Kings. Ironically, right after winning for KKR, Shreyas Iyer now heads for almost the same for Punjab. Last night, they sealed a dominant 7-wicket win against the Mumbai Indians, confirming their position for the qualifier 1 in Mullanpur on May 29. Notably, before coming to KKR, Shreyas Iyer had already taken Delhi Capitals, his first franchise since 2015 (then Delhi Daredevils), to the finals in 2020. Back then, he was the youngest captain, surpassing Rohit Sharma, to lead an IPL team to the finals. Later Shubman Gill overtook it in 2024 while leading Gujarat Titans.