In his briefing, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore discussed the importance of leadership in the high-stress holding event and the team’s decision to select Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the 2025 Indian Premier League instead of Venkatesh Iyer. Rahane was chosen by KKR because Mysore emphasised that captaincy demands impressive experience and maturity.
After the IPL 2024, Venkatesh Iyer was first released by KKR, but he was later re-acquired at the IPL 2025 mega-auction for an incredible ₹23.75 crore.
When his name was first put up for auction, Rahane, who was also a candidate for the leadership position, was initially unsold. When teams were permitted to recall unsold players, Kolkata was able to acquire him at his base price of ₹1.5 crore.
“The IPL is a very competitive competition. Although we have a lot of respect for Venkatesh Iyer, Mysore informed ESPNCricinfo that “captaincy is taxing on a youngster.” “As they progress, we have observed numerous individuals encountering difficulties with it. We believed that Ajinkya brought a great deal of maturity, expertise, and a very steady hand to the table.
“We felt that Ajinkya brings a lot of maturity and experience, as well as a very steady hand,” Mysore continued.
Shreyas Iyer, who guided KKR to the IPL 2024 championship victory, is replaced by Rahane. However, he chose to participate in the IPL 2025 auction, when he was acquired by the Punjab Kings, and the team was unable to keep him.
Ajinkya Rahane will be joining the three-time champion team for the second time. When KKR finished eighth in the standings in 2022, he made his debut for the team. Having played for six different teams, he is a tournament veteran and one of the few players who has been in the league for the whole 17-year span.
Having previously captained India and guided teams to victory in domestic cricket, Rahane provides leadership experience. He has captained the Rising Pune Supergiants once and the Rajasthan Royals the other 25 times in the IPL. Along with helping his club go to the semifinals, he scored 467 runs in nine games, including a century, during his successful Ranji Trophy season with Mumbai.
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