IPL 2022 | 'Not feeling sad at all'- Shreyas Iyer

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer has said that he was not sad despite the team's exit from the ongoing IPL 2022 after a two-run defeat to Lucknow Super Giants in a nail-biting finish at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday. While chasing 211, KKR came close but failed to reach the target despite a classy half-century from Shreyas Iyer, a quick 42 from Nitish Rana, a 15-ball 40 from Rinku Singh and a cameo from Sunil Narine as well.

However, Shreyas Iyer has said that there was no sadness in the camp because he named it one of the best games of cricket he has ever played to date. The defeat saw KKR's elimination from the playoffs race after finishing with 12 points from 14 league matches.

"I'm not feeling sad at all because that was one of the best games of cricket I've ever played to be honest. The performance, the way we showed our character and attitude in this game, it was simply outstanding," Shreyas Iyer told Star Sports.

"I love the way Rinku got us to the end, but unfortunately couldn't time it when two balls were remaining. He was really sad. I was hoping that he could finish the game for us. He could have been the hero. Still, he played a fantastic knock and I'm really happy for him," he further added.

However, the campaign ended in a bad way for Kolkata Knight Riders, but they have no one else to blame. Shreyas Iyer smashed a rapid half-century, and there were brilliant contributions from Nitish Rana (42), Rinku Singh (40) and Sam Billings (36), but all went in vain. Meanwhile, they also made some bizarre decisions, which included several changes in the batting order and selection blunders.

Moreover, Shreyas Iyer created a buzz when he said that the team CEO was involved in team selections before clarifying his comments. However, Kolkata Knight Riders had made it to the final of IPL 2021 after having a sensational run in the second half of the season. In 2022, under the new captain, KKR failed to replicate their success of last year and finished with only 6 wins in 14 matches.

After five-time champions Mumbai Indians and defending champions Chennai Super Kings, KKR became the third team to be eliminated from the playoffs race. On the other hand, newly added franchises Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are leading the charts this season with their stunning performances.