Sports Ajinkya Rahane’s colossal abilities and “maturity” in coping with an “intense” tournament akin to the IPL made him the computerized choice to steer defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), franchise CEO Venky Mysore has acknowledged.
Rahane became as soon as conception to be one of many contenders for the captaincy alongside Venkatesh Iyer, the India and Madhya Pradesh allrounder. Venkatesh became as soon as launched after the 2024 season but became as soon as sold support by KKR in the auction for INR 23.75 crore (US$2.3 million approx.). Whereas Venkatesh currently acknowledged he became as soon as in a position to steal on the captaincy, if offered, KKR sooner or later picked Rahane for the job, with Venkatesh named his deputy.
“IPL is quite an intense tournament,” Mysore urged ESPNcricinfo. “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.”
Shreyas Iyer had captained KKR to the title in IPl 2024, but KKR would possibly perchance maybe maybe no longer abet him after he opted to head support into the auction, where he became as soon as sold by Punjab Kings. By the contrivance in which, Rahane, who became as soon as the predominant participant to realize support up on the 2nd day of the auction closing November, had long gone unsold on the predominant time of calling. KKR sooner or later bought Rahane for his scandalous designate of INR 1.5 crore ($180,000 approx.) on the pause of the auction when franchises bought an different to name support unsold players of their selection.
Here’s Rahane’s 2nd stint with KKR, having played seven fits for them in IPL 2022, when they carried out seventh. Rahane has turned out for six franchises in the IPL and is amongst a make a selection group of players to were phase of the IPL from its inception in 2008. Rahane has some abilities captaining India (with eight wins in 11 video games across codecs), is amongst the most a hit active captains in domestic cricket, and has led in 25 fits across two IPL franchises: as soon as at Rising Pune Supergiant and the rest at Rajasthan Royals.
Mysore felt the kind of wealth of abilities would possibly perchance maybe maybe handiest be helpful for KKR. “He has played 185 IPL games, 200 [195] international games across formats,” Mysore acknowledged. “He has led India, led Mumbai in domestic, he is led in IPL. And he has played from season conception to be one of IPL. All that is huge. There need to be no shock the least bit [on appointing Rahane as captain].
“Captaincy cannot be underestimated. Here’s going to be my 15th season, so I in fact procure seen a lot. It’s miles never handiest about what you terminate on the discipline. There would possibly be moderately heaps of [other] stuff in phrases of IPL, in conjunction with coping with media, and there’ll seemingly be expectation via the captain. On the similar time, it’s miles a new cycle, there would possibly be diversity in the team; if it’s miles a must to be a a hit captain it’s miles a must to put money into constructing relationships with each person in narrate that you just admire fetch the most easy out of each person.
“And then there’s preparatory stuff in terms of camps, bowlers’ meetings, batters’ meetings, interaction with coaches – that’s a lot to take in. From that perspective, we are lucky we have got Ajinkya, who will be terrific for us. Not only as a captain, of which there’s no doubt, but also as a batsman. He has scored tons of runs.”
Venkatesh Iyer is ‘captaincy fabric’
Mysore additionally acknowledged that that Venkatesh would proceed to be phase of the leadership group and that he had the functionality to grow into a future captain. “We have been very, very impressed with the leadership qualities that he has shown,” Mysore acknowledged. “He’s a franchise player and what he has shown in terms of how he participates, and the respect that others have around him, and the energy he brings [to the dressing room]… so he definitely has got massive potential. He’s one for the future for us for sure. He clearly is captaincy material.”
The transfer to appoint Venkatesh as the vice-captain, Mysore acknowledged, would additionally enable him to learn from Rahane. “Knowing Ajinkya, he will take him [Venkatesh] under his wing and mentor him on the captaincy side of things. So, in a way, I expect they will be kind of joined at the hip and working very closely together.”