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Venky Mysore opened up on the idea of Ajinkya Rahane be announced as the new Kolkata Knight Riders captain.
Ajinkya Rahane at Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL (BCCI)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought Ajinkya Rahane for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore at the fag end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.
Rahane returned to KKR, having represented the three-time as well as defending champions, in 2022. He has scored 133 runs in seven matches at an average of 19 and a strike-rate of 103.90 with a top score of 44.
Renowned for his impeccable technique and ability to anchor innings, Rahane provides much-needed balance to the aggressive KKR batting order. His experience in handling high-pressure situations and guiding run chases makes him a valuable asset.
Rahane’s leadership qualities and calm presence on and off the field will also play a crucial role in nurturing young talents in the squad.
When KKR CEO Venky Mysore was asked about the idea of Ajinkya Rahane becoming the new captain after Shreyas Iyer’s move away, he said they will sit down and look at all factors before finalising a decision.
“Well, you know that. To be honest, we have to sit down and take stock. Sometimes what happens is, after you’ve done all of these things, you just have to sit down, reflect, look at the whole thing. There are stakeholders and parts of the think tank won’t be here. So we’ll all sit down and have a proper chat about that, and I’m sure a proper decision will be made,” Mysore was quoted as saying to the broadcasters.
IPL 2025: Venkatesh Iyer ‘More Than Happy’ To Embrace Captaincy Challenge At KKR
Venkatesh Iyer was bought for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore and on Sunday said he would be “more than happy” to take on the captaincy challenge.
“I had the opportunity to captain the side in Nitish Rana’s absence when he was unfortunately injured, and I was the vice-captain as well,” said Venkatesh after he was bought by KKR for the huge amount.
“I’ve always believed that captaincy is just a tag, but leadership is about creating an environment where everyone feels they can play for this team and contribute. If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on. Absolutely (I’m ready for it).
“Together, we will aim to defend the championship and continue our winning campaign. Thank you very much for picking me in your squad,” he added.
KKR Full Squad – Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Ajinkya Rahane, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Umran Malik
