Kolkata/IBNS: India's new batting star Shreyas Iyer has claimed he didn't get the kind of recognition he wanted to have after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the Indian Premier League (IPL) under his captaincy in 2024.

Iyer made the remark while talking about the last year which went rough for him.

In 2024, Iyer was dropped from BCCI's central contract and was also not retained by KKR despite winning the tournament.

Speaking to The Times of India, Iyer said, "Frustration toh nahi tha (there was no frustration) because I was playing IPL. The major focus was to win the IPL, and thankfully, I won it.

"I personally felt I didn’t get the recognition I wanted to after winning the IPL but at the end of the day, as long as you have self integrity and you keep doing the right things when no one is watching, that is more important and that is what I kept doing."

When asked about India captain Rohit Sharma praising him for his vital contributions in the Champions Trophy 2025, Iyer said, "When I talk about recognition, it’s about getting that respect. It was about the respect for whatever efforts I put on the field. I think sometimes it gets unnoticed but extremely satisfied with the efforts I put in because they weren’t easy wickets to bat on."

"It wasn’t easy to take singles, especially when the bowlers were bowling so tight. I just had the belief in myself that once I get two sixes here or there, I can change the momentum towards our side. Luckily, I got them at crucial times," the right-handed batter added in the interview post India's Champions Trophy triumph.

Iyer was praised for tactical changes as well as an impressive strike-rate during IPL 2024 but he was not retained by the team management before heading to the fresh round of auction.

India's current head coach Gautam Gambhir, who was then mentoring KKR, was widely praised for the franchise's IPL triumph after the southpaw returned to the side.

Iyer may have been dropped by KKR but he was later purchased by Punjab Kings for a staggering Rs. 26.75 crore in the IPL mega auction.

The IPL 2025 will begin on March 22.