At a base price of INR 1.50 crore, Ajinkya Rahane joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) super auction last month. It will be his second spell with the defending champs.
According to speculations, Rahane has been the front-runner to captain KKR in the next IPL season. Leading the Indian squad in Test cricket and the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL are among the experiences of the right-handed batsman. Additionally, he serves as Mumbai’s red-ball captain. The veteran was relieved of his T20 squad captaincy, nevertheless, because Shreyas Iyer is now guiding the Mumbai team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024.
“Yes, it is currently 90% certain that Ajinkya Rahane will take over as captain of the KKR.
The Times of India quoted a source as stating, “The Kolkata Knight Riders purchased him specifically to have him as a viable captaincy option.”
Rahane had competed in the 2022 Indian Premier League for the team co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan. His campaign was forgettable; he only managed to score 133 runs with a strike rate of 103.91 and an average of 19 in seven games. The seasoned batter joined the Chennai Super Kings prior to the 2023 Indian Premier League and had a spectacular season, amassing 326 runs at an incredible strike rate of 172.49, which was his highest in a single season in the lucrative league. Although Rahane scored 242 runs at 20.17 in 13 games this season, he was not at his best.
But if he is named the team’s captain, the extra accountability might make him perform at his peak. Regarding decision-making, the Knight Riders have a reputation for granting their captain considerable autonomy. Rahane is accustomed to the atmosphere of the Kolkata-based squad and would like to assist them in winning the championship in the 18th iteration of the 10-team tournament.
Remarkably, a lot of supporters and commentators believed that Venkatesh Iyer, who was re-signed by KKR for an incredible INR 23.75 crore during the IPL 2025 auction, would be in charge of the team. The well-liked franchise appears to have chosen to follow Rahane’s lead, though.
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