IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane likely to lead Kolkata Knight Riders
What's the story
Former Mumbai captain and discarded Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane is tipped to be the next captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
This comes after KKR bought Rahane at his base price of ₹1.5 crore at the recently concluded IPL auction in Jeddah.
A source close to TOI claimed there's a 90% chance of Rahane leading KKR this season.
Unexpected choice
Rahane's potential leadership role surprises many
The possible appointment of Rahane as KKR's captain has taken many by surprise.
This is because the franchise, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, was earlier expected to appoint all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer as their leader.
Iyer was bought by KKR for a whopping ₹23.75 crore at the recent IPL auction, making this change in leadership plans an unexpected turn of events.
Leadership transition
Rahane's captaincy journey: A tale of ups and downs
Rahane's possible leadership role at KKR would be a major turnaround in his cricketing career.
He was recently replaced as Mumbai's captain for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy by Shreyas Iyer, who is in prime form.
If Rahane is appointed as KKR's captain, he would be succeeding Iyer, who took the team to their third IPL title last season.
Proven leader
Rahane's leadership credentials remain strong
Despite not being a part of the Indian team in any format anymore, Rahane's leadership credentials are second to none in Indian cricket.
He has plenty of experience leading teams at different levels, including captaining the Indian Test team in Australia (2020/21) to a historic series win.
This wealth of leadership experience could be a valuable asset for KKR in the upcoming IPL season.