“It’s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL,” Rahane said. I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title.”
Based on KKR’s strategy at the IPL mega auction last November, Rahane may not have been part of their initial plans, going by how the bidding unfolded. He was unsold when his name came up the first time on day one of the auction, and was only bought by KKR at his base price of INR 1.5 crore when his name came up again as part of the accelerated round on the second day, just before the auction ended.
“We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said. “Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defense of our title.”
Rahane’s previous captaincy experience in the IPL spans 25 matches: one for Rising Pune Super Giant in 2017, and 24 for Rajasthan Royals in 2018-19. He was replaced by Steve Smith mid-way through the 2019 season.
Iyer, after not being one of KKR’s six retained players ahead of November’s mega auction, was bought back by the franchise for INR 23.75 crore. He was the fourth most expensive purchase in IPL auction history.
With KKR announcing Rahane, the only team yet to name a captain is Delhi Capitals (DC). Rishabh Pant had led DC last year but was not retained and will lead his new team Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025.
