Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore is involved in team selection, at least that is what captain Shreyas Iyer said after Monday’s win over Mumbai Indians. So the franchise’s outrageous strategy of involving 20 players in 12 matches cannot be blamed solely on head coach Brendon McCullum and his support staff.

At the post-match presentation, Shreyas admitted it was really tough to tell the players about their omission before a match.

“It’s really difficult. I was also in that position once when I started playing IPL. We discuss with the coaches, the CEO is also involved in team selection… Baz (McCullum) goes to the players and tells them if they’re not playing.

“All of them are very supportive of the decision-making. The way they turn up to the ground, each and every individual in the playing XI, it’s something to be proud of as a captain,” Shreyas said.

He was happy with Monday’s performance. “The way we played with high spirits and a good vibe, I’m proud of it. The win was comprehensive. The players were charged up to win the game.

“The previous games have not been great for us. It plays on your mind when you’re on the losing side. I’m not satisfied but I want to keep up with the same momentum to come back strong in the other games,” the KKR captain said.