Not Venkatesh Iyer but Ajinkya Rahane to lead KKR in IPL 2025: Reports

The captaincy muddle seems far from being cleared for the defending champions of IPL. The IPL 2024 winners, KKR, staged a shuffle in the team combination ahead of IPL 2025. The skipper who led the team to their third IPL trophy, Shreyas Iyer, didn’t find a place among the retentions for the next season. Moreover, Kolkata Knight Riders could not take him back in the mega auction, as Punjab Kings spent a whopping INR 26.75 crore for the batter.

While KKR didn’t fight remarkably for Shreyas, another Iyer remained their top priority in Jeddah. KKR fended off RCB to restore Venkatesh Iyer to the squad. The bidding war escalated to the point where Kolkata put INR 23.75 crore on the table to clinch Iyer back. One would expect that for the costliest player, who has been elemental for the team over the last year, to be an obvious captaincy choice. Kolkata Knight Riders think differently.

Venkatesh Iyer snubbed as KKR opt Ajinkya Rahane as the captain for IPL 2025

Venkatesh Iyer is no rookie in the league. KKR doesn’t think like that either, gauging by the INR 23.75 crore they spent on keeping Iyer intact in the squad. However, when the turn for captaincy comes up, Kolkata Knight Riders are yet to be sure of Iyer’s capability. Following the exit of Shreyas Iyer, KKR bagged no name in the mega auction that reverberated as an obvious leadership prospect. When queried about KKR’s auction and captaincy choices, the franchise owner, Venky Mysore, failed to give a solid answer. Mysore had talked about how it would take a long discussion to find the next leader of the camp.

Now, as per the latest updates, KKR’s needle has pointed to the seasoned Indian pick, Ajinkya Rahane. If reports are to be believed, Rahane has eclipsed Venkatesh Iyer to emerge as the future captaincy prospect for the defending champions. Rahane, who famously guided India to an iconic Test series victory in Australia during the 2020/21 season, is likely to take charge as KKR’s skipper in IPL 2025. He was bought for his base price of INR 1.5 crore during the recent mega auction in Jeddah.

"Yes, at the moment it's 90% confirmed that Ajinkya will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by KKR specifically for the purpose of being a viable captaincy option," a source has revealed in recent reports.

This decision from KKR has caught many off guard, particularly as Venkatesh seemed a strong candidate for the role. Having spent four years with the franchise and worked closely with head coach Chandrakant Pandit during their time together at Madhya Pradesh, Venkatesh Iyer was seen as a natural fit for the leadership position. Moreover, the all-rounder expressed readiness to claim the position following the mega auction, as he turned up as KKR’s costliest buy.

"I have 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 do it," Venkatesh had said earlier. "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," he further highlighted.

However, while Iyer appears sure of his ability to lead the defending champions in IPL 2025, the franchise seems interested in banking on Rahane’s experience. Rahane, now out of the international scene, scripted a resurgence in the T20 league with blazing form for CSK in IPL 2023. While IPL 2024 didn’t fare as impressively, Rahane’s name in IPL earned validation with his title-winning run for Chennai in 2023.

Moreover, the 36-year-old brings prior IPL captaincy experience, having led Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and 2019. However, his captaincy record doesn’t appear extraordinary, with the team winning nine out of 24 matches under his leadership. India’s trusted middle-order pick in Tests formerly, Rahane has an extensive captaincy record on the domestic front. He has captained Mumbai’s T20 team for 26 games over 13 years, securing 19 victories. However, the former KKR skipper, Shreyas Iyer, replaced Rahane as the Mumbai skipper for the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which is currently underway.