Ajinkya Rahane Named KKR Captain for IPL 2025 Amid Leadership Shift
KKR has named Ajinkya Rahane as their new captain for IPL 2025. The decision was taken on March 3, when the team officially announced Rahane’s appointment. After releasing IPL 2024 winning captain Shreyas Iyer, KKR handed Rahane the responsibility of leading the side.
Ajinkya Rahane selected over Venkatesh Iyer
2024 IPL winner Venkatesh Iyer was bought back by the team for a whopping price of ₹23.75 crore ($2.86 million) in the mega auction. This led to speculations that Iyer could be handed the captaincy. However, the team named Rahane as the captain and Iyer was given the role of vice-captain.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore clarified
KKR CEO Venky Mysore recently explained the reason for this decision, saying that the team has given preference to Rahane’s experienced leadership. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, he said, “IPL is a very intense tournament, and it can be difficult for a young player to handle the pressure of captaincy. We have full faith in Venkatesh Iyer, but we gave preference to experience.”
Importance of Rahane’s experience
Mysore pointed to Rahane’s vast experience behind his appointment. He told, “Rahane has played 185 IPL matches and 200 international matches. He has led India and Mumbai, and his experience is extremely important for us.” Rahane’s long IPL career and leadership experience made him an ideal candidate for the role.
KKR’s upcoming challenges
The KKR team will enter the field with some new and exciting players in the 2025 season, including names like Quinton de Kock and Rovman Powell. The team’s first match will be against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.
With this decision, KKR hopes to do well in the tournament under the leadership of an experienced captain.
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