It was supposed to be a sweet little anniversary celebration — the kind you post with emojis, a fire caption, and lots of heart reacts. On May 26, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took to social media to celebrate the one-year mark of their KKR 3rd trophy win in the Indian Premier League. The team clinched the IPL 2024 champion title in style, and you’d think such a moment would bring nothing but nostalgia and good vibes. But instead? X exploded, and not in a good way. The reason? The post left out a pretty important face: their 2024 KKR captain, Shreyas Iyer.

A day that will live in our hearts, forever 🥹

Celebrating 1 year of our third IPL crown 👑 💜 pic.twitter.com/EqAzfse5jK

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 26, 2025

KKR 3rd Trophy Anniversary：Missing Man in the Memory Lane

KKR’s tweet was meant to be a feel-good throwback, showing the victorious squad posing proudly with the IPL 2024 champion trophy. But eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that Shreyas Iyer — the very man who led them to that title as the 2024 KKR captain — was nowhere in the frame.

And while the image also excluded other players who left the team post-2024 (like Mitchell Starc and Phil Salt), Iyer’s absence hit a different nerve. After all, he was the captain during their KKR 3rd trophy run, not just another squad member. The snub felt personal to many supporters, with some calling it a straight-up insult.

No less than a superstar 🌟🏆 pic.twitter.com/GV2ncX9Lak

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 27, 2024

Captain Who Led From the Front

Let’s rewind to 2024 — the season of dominance for Kolkata Knight Riders. And right at the heart of it all was Shreyas Iyer, the cool-headed 2024 KKR captain who turned a talented team into a title-winning machine. Under his leadership, KKR played fearless cricket, and it wasn’t just about big sixes or dramatic wickets. It was about consistency, strategy, and a team that knew exactly what to do in every situation.

For the third time, 𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/IrR9ZogO8J

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 27, 2024

Iyer was the guy making the tough calls like bringing in spinner Sunil Narine early when the powerplay wasn’t going well, or promoting pinch-hitters up the order to break slow chases wide open. Remember that league match against Mumbai Indians when KKR were chasing 180 on a tricky pitch? Iyer calmly anchored the innings with a gritty 62 off 49 balls, holding the innings together while others played around him. That win basically sealed their playoff spot.

And at that moment, we knew we were the CHAMPIONS! 🏆pic.twitter.com/0WZbfzbSUc

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 26, 2024

And let’s not forget the final. In that one-sided showdown against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was Iyer’s on-field composure that set the tone. He rotated his bowlers smartly, saved Andre Russell for the death overs, and kept the field placements aggressive, almost daring the opposition to make a move. It wasn’t flashy, but it was clinical — the kind of leadership that quietly wins you trophies.

What a Champion’s morning looks like 😴🏆 pic.twitter.com/x4ADGzic8E

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 27, 2024

Throughout the season, the 2024 KKR captain was the emotional anchor of the team. He kept the squad grounded during their eight-match win streak and lifted them when a couple of games went sideways mid-season. Teammates often spoke about his open-door policy and how he encouraged young players like Venkatesh Iyer and Harshit Rana to express themselves without fear. That culture of trust and belief played a massive part in securing the KKR 3rd trophy, and of course, the ultimate glory: becoming the IPL 2024 champion.

The Breakup Nobody Expected

So what went wrong? After lifting the IPL 2024 champion trophy, Iyer reportedly asked for a well-deserved pay raise. Sounds fair, right? Well, apparently not for KKR. While they did offer him a retention package, the number didn’t match Iyer’s expectations. The negotiations hit a wall, and the team shockingly let go of their captain ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Fans were stunned. Some said it was bad business, others called it a betrayal of the man who helped secure the KKR 3rd trophy.

Different jerseys, same leadership DNA 🧬🫡

Will this be the season Shreyas Iyer takes PBKS all the way? 🤔#TATAIPL | @PunjabKingsIPL | @ShreyasIyer15 pic.twitter.com/poIirhscGM

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 19, 2025

New Team, New Heights

But Iyer didn’t let the disappointment slow him down. In a twist worthy of a cricket soap opera, the Punjab Kings swooped in, grabbed him at auction, and handed him the captaincy. And guess what? He delivered again. Under his leadership, PBKS not only made it to the IPL 2025 playoffs — they dominated. The team has already locked in a top-two spot, and in doing so, Iyer made history by becoming the first player to captain three different franchises into the playoffs. From IPL 2024 champion with KKR to potential 2025 finalists with PBKS, this ex-2024 KKR captain is showing everyone exactly what they lost.

Related Article：Shreyas Iyer’s IPL Captaincy Record：Three Teams, Three Playoffs

Was It Just a Mistake？

So what was the deal with that post? Did someone on the KKR social media team just forget to include their 2024 KKR captain, or was this a subtle message that the franchise has moved on? Fans definitely didn’t see it as a harmless oversight; they saw it as a glaring snub. After all, when a player leads you to an IPL 2024 champion title, you’d expect him to be front and center in any celebration photo, not missing like he was never there.

The reaction online was swift and sharp. Memes, call-outs, and threads calling out the “disrespect” flooded social media, with many accusing KKR of rewriting their own history. And let’s face it, it’s hard to celebrate the KKR 3rd trophy without acknowledging the person who captained the team through the highs, the nerves, and the big decisions.

Intentional or not, the post has reignited conversations about how IPL franchises treat players once they’re out the door. One moment you’re the 2024 KKR captain lifting the trophy, the next you’re cropped out of the frame like you were never part of the story. Whatever the explanation, fans aren’t forgetting, and neither, it seems, is Shreyas Iyer.