Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore briefed the franchise’s call to appoint as captain over Venkatesh Iyer for IPL 2025, looking at the critical nature of leadership in the high-pressure holding tournament. Mysore highlighted that captaincy requires compelling experience and maturity, which led KKR to opt for Rahane. 

was released by KKR initially after IPL 2024 but was brought back in the IPL 2025 mega-auction for a mind-boggling ₹23.75 crore. Meanwhile, Rahane, who was also considered for the leadership role, initially went unsold when his name first came up during the auction. Nevertheless, Kolkata eventually secured him at his base price of ₹1.5 crore when teams were allowed to recall unsold players. 

"IPL is quite an intense tournament. We think very well of Venkatesh Iyer, but at the same time, [captaincy] is taxing on a youngster," Mysore told ESPNCricinfo. "We have seen lots of people facing challenges with it as they go forward. It takes a very steady hand, a lot of maturity, and experience, which we felt Ajinkya brings with him." 

“It takes a very steady hand, takes a lot of maturity and experience, which we felt Ajinkya brings with him," Mysore added.

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Rahane takes over for Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to the IPL 2024 title triumph. Nevertheless, the franchise failed to retain him, as he opted to get in the IPL 2025 auction, where Punjab Kings seized him. 

This will be Ajinkya Rahane's second time with the three-time winning franchise. He first played for KKR in 2022 when they finished seventh on the points table. A veteran of the tournament, he has represented six different franchises and remains one of the few players who have been part of the league for the past 17 years.  

Rahane brings leadership experience, having captained India in the past and led teams successfully in domestic cricket. He has led in 25 IPL matches, once for Rising Pune Supergiants and the rest for Rajasthan Royals. Healso had a strong Ranji Trophy season with Mumbai, scoring 467 runs in nine matches, including a century, and helping his team reach the semifinals.