Why Ajinkya Rahane Got Appointed as KKR Captain in IPL 2025? - KKR CEO Gets Candid!

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 emphasized that captaincy demands impressive experience and maturity. 

Although Venkatesh Iyer was given consideration for the position, KKR CEO Venky Mysore disclosed that the management believed the player could find captaincy to be too taxing in such a competitive tournament. 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. 

Ajinkya Rahane Return to KKR:

Mysore told ESPNcricinfo, “IPL is quite an intense tournament. We think very well of Venkatesh Iyer, but at the same time, it [captaincy] is taxing on a youngster. We have seen lots of people having lots of challenges with it [handling captaincy] as they go forward.”

Captain Ajinkya Rahane's first day on duty! 💼 💜

A new chapter begins! 📖🔥 pic.twitter.com/JGeNzGBXRW

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 13, 2025

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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