Wealth of experience and maturity may have tilted the scales in favour of the 36-year-old India veteran, but the IPL can be a strange beast

On March 3, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced that Ajinkya Rahane will lead them in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting from March 22. His appointment came after the franchise released their IPL 2024 winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, before the IPL 2025 mega auction.

KKR will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening game of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League on March 22

After getting picked by KKR in the mega auction for Rs 23.75 crore, India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was the front-runner for the captaincy of three-time IPL winners. However, KKR appointed Rahane as their skipper,

After securing his homecoming, Iyer admitted his interest in captaincy if the franchise decided to hand him the responsibility. However, the three-time champions decided to go for the experienced Rahane and appoint Iyer as his deputy.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore explained choosing Ajinkya Rahane as captain over Venkatesh Iyer, citing Rahane's experience and maturity. Rahane's successful leadership in IPL and international cricket, along with his long history in the league.

Ajinkya Rahane was named the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the IPL 2025 season, with the franchise choosing experience over youth in their leadership decision. KKR CEO Venky Mysore revealed that while Venkatesh Iyer was considered for the role,

The defending Champions are set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening game of IPL 2025 on March 22.