New Delhi: The defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are gearing up for the TATA IPL 2025 season with a renewed sense of purpose under fresh leadership. In a recent press conference new captain Ajinkya Rahane mentor Dwayne Bravo head coach Chandrakant Pandit and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer shared their thoughts on the upcoming season and the teams preparations. Rahane who takes over as captain of the reigning champions expressed his gratitude for the opportunity. Its an honour for me to lead this wonderful franchise. Im really thankful and grateful to the management for giving me this opportunity said Rahane. The experienced batter acknowledged the challenge of defending the title but remained focused on the immediate future: For me it is always about keeping it simple... We will obviously give our best this season. When asked about his batting position Rahane emphasized a team-first mentality I have always played wherever the team wanted me to play. Team thinking has always come first. Mentor Dwayne Bravo outlined his approach to continuing the teams success It would be disrespectful of me to try to change some of the good things from the last season Bravo explained. He also expressed his enthusiasm about working with team owner Shah Rukh Khan: Its good to have a boss like Shah Rukh who is definitely really invested in the game... That energy and that vibe Im going to try to bring that here as well. Vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer who commanded a significant price at the auction was excited about working with Bravo. Hes been the most successful T20 player in history so he brings a lot of experience to the table said Iyer. Nothing can beat experience. Hes played so many games; hes won so many games for West Indies and the franchises that hes played for. When questioned about handling the pressure of his price tag Iyer took a pragmatic approach It exists. You cant ignore it altogether but when the TATA IPL starts it really doesnt matter. Youre a part of a playing XI a part of a team that is going out there to win. Head coach Chandrakant Pandit who has worked with Rahane previously spoke about the teams preparation for their opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22. Every match is different and we have been preparing since the Mumbai camp and now we have started the camp here as well... we are going to play as hard as possible. Regarding the team composition Pandit highlighted the confidence gained from international experience The advantage that were going to get is the confidence level that theyre going to carry from the international level to KKR. The team is looking forward to playing at their home ground with Rahane noting: Its good to be back at Eden Gardens and we always love to play at Eden Gardens. The atmosphere the energy the passion which all the fans have. With a strong core of retained players experienced leadership and the backing of passionate fans at Eden Gardens KKR appears well-positioned to defend their title in the upcoming TATA IPL 2025 season. About Kolkata Knight Riders The Knight Riders brand is a global brand in International Cricket with eight trophies to its name and four professional franchises under its wings - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the TATA IPL Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) in UAEs International League T20 and Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in USAs Major League Cricket making it one of the most versatile brands in T20 cricket globally. KKR has made four appearances in the TATA IPL final winning the championship thrice (2012 2014 2024). They finished runners-up in the 2021 season staging one of the most remarkable comebacks in the tournaments history. TKRs Mens Team has won the CPL championship 4 times in 10 years since the Knight Riders took over the franchise. They are the most successful team in the Caribbean and hold a unique feat of having won the trophy in 2020 without losing a single game in the whole tournament. TKR Women the Knight Riders first ever Womens Team were champions of the inaugural WCPL in 2022. For many years now the Knight Riders Academy has been actively scouting talented cricketers from across India and around the world. The sole objective of the Academy is to identify and help cricketers make an overall round-the-year improvement in their cricketing skills and fitness.