IPL 2025: KKR CEO Venky Mysore reveals why they made Ajinkya Rahane captain instead of Venkatesh Iyer

Ajinkya Rahane was announced as KKR captain on March 3.

On March 3, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced that Ajinkya Rahane will lead them in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting from March 22.

His appointment came after the franchise released their IPL 2024 winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, before the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The defending champions bought Venkatesh Iyer for a hefty price of INR 23.75 crores at the mega auction, which fueled media speculation that he was brought in for a leadership role. However, Iyer was named vice-captain of the side while Rahane has been named as the man to lead the side.

Days before start of the season, KKR CEO Venky Mysore has now explained why the franchise appointed Rahane as captain over Iyer for the upcoming season.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore reveals why they made Ajinkya Rahane captain instead of Venkatesh Iyer

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Mysore expressed the franchise’s confidence in Iyer but acknowledged that they were considering a more experienced player, as captaincy can be demanding for a youngster.

Mysore said, “IPL is quite an intense tournament. Clearly, 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 as they go forward.“

“It takes a very steady hand, takes a lot of maturity and experience, which we felt Ajinkya brings with him.“

Further explaining the franchise’s decision to appoint Rahane as captain, Mysore highlighted the veteran Indian batsman’s extensive experience with over 200 international matches under his belt.

He explained, “He has played 185 IPL games, 200 [195] international games across formats. He has led India, led Mumbai in domestic, he’s led in IPL. And he has played from season one of IPL. All that is massive. There should be no surprise at all [on appointing Rahane as captain].“

KKR will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening game of IPL 2025 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. They have added some exciting names to their squad, including Quinton de Kock and Rovman Powell.

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