The speculation about the new captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finally came to an end on Monday. Taking a big decision, the franchise has appointed veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane as the new captain of the team. At the same time, all -rounder Venkatesh Iyer has been given the role of vice -captain. After this shocking decision, there is a lot of discussion between fans and cricket pundits.
KKR is the defending champion team of the previous season (IPL 2024), which won the trophy under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. However, Kolkata released Shreyas Iyer before the mega auction, and has now become a part of Punjab Kings.
Why the captaincy was handed over to Rahane?
In the mega auction, Kolkata Knight Riders bought Ajinkya Rahane at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore. Rahane has immense experience, and has captained the IPL before.
- IPL Career: 185 matches, 4642 runs at an average of 30.14
- Achievements: 2 centuries, 30 half -centuries
- Domestic cricket performance: 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 469 runs, an average of 58.62 and strike rate of 164.56
Rahane has been a part of KKR before, but he was out of the team after IPL 2022. This time, in view of his magnificent domestic performance, the franchise has entrusted him with the responsibility of captaincy.
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Venkatesh Iyer got a chance to vice -captain
30 -year -old Venkatesh Iyer recently expressed his desire to handle the KKR captaincy. However, the franchise considered it more appropriate to make experienced Rahane as captain.
- Venkatesh was released before the mega auction, but then the team bought him back for Rs 23.75 crore.
- He became the fourth most expensive player in IPL history.
- Iyer, who made her debut with KKR in IPL 2021, has so far scored 1326 runs in 50 matches and has taken 3 wickets.
- However, he does not have the experience of captaincy at any level, but the team sees the future leader in them.
KKR management statement
Venki Mysore, CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders, said on this decision:
“We are very excited by handing over the command of the team to an experienced player like Ajinkya Rahane. He has a great experience of leadership. Venkatesh Iyer is also a very important player for the franchise, and we are confident that the pair will perform brilliantly. ”
KKR’s first match in IPL 2025
The IPL 2025 is going to start from 22 March. Kolkata Knight Riders will play their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The match will be held at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata, where KKR fans will get a chance to see their team playing under the new leadership.
It will be interesting to see whether KKR is able to defend his title under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy!
