News India Live, Digital Desk: IPL auction is coming near and before that, the stir that has arisen in the camp of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has made everyone’s ears perk up. We all know that this time Abhishek Nayar has taken charge of the team in place of Chandrakant Pandit ji. And brother, as soon as he sat on the coach’s chair, he made his intentions clear. The biggest question that is bothering the fans is why was Venkatesh Iyer released? The same Iyer whom KKR had bought in the last auction by paying a huge amount of Rs 23.75 crores. Releasing a player with such a huge amount of money is not a trivial decision. Abhishek Nair’s ‘Fresh Start’ plan. What is going on in Nair’s mind? This answer has been given by former wicketkeeper and cricket expert Saba Karim. While talking on JioCinema, he opened the layers of this whole matter. Saba Karim says that Abhishek Nair’s way of working is different from the others. They like to start with a “clean slate”. Karim told, “Abhishek always wants a fresh start. He retains only those players whom he feels will 100% fit into his playing XI. The rest, no matter how big the player is, he leaves them so that he can look at new options in the auction. Is this a ploy to save Rs 24 crore? This is simple mathematics, man. KKR has added a huge amount back to its purse by releasing Venkatesh Iyer. Saba Karim feels this is a well-thought-out strategy. Nair is probably thinking, “Why not buy back this player at a lower price in the auction?” Or use that money to bring 2-3 new strong players. This is Nair’s old style, he does not get carried away by emotions. He has to make the team win, not maintain friendships. KKR fans, there is nothing to fear! Although it may seem risky to leave a player worth Rs 23.75 crore, but we should remember that this is the same Abhishek Nair who has carved diamonds like Rinku Singh and Varun Chakraborty. He is aware of the ins and outs of the team. Saba Karim also said that Nair probably wants to create a new ‘core team’ of his own, which will rule for the next few years. He has thrown away the old burden and now he is going to sit on the auction table with all the strength and money. Now it remains to be seen whether this “fresh start” takes KKR to the trophy or whether Venkatesh Iyer goes to some other team and it costs them dearly! Whatever the case, this time’s auction will be worth watching.