IPL 2025: 'He has been an amazing leader,' says Venkatesh Iyer on Ajinkya Rahane being appointed KKR captain

Venkatesh Iyer was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a massive amount Rs 23.75 crore at the mega auction held in Saudi Arabia in November 2024, making him one of the most expensive buys.

Despite the franchise spending heavily on the all-rounder for IPL 2025, KKR named the experienced Ajinkya Rahane as the captain. The veteran Indian batter had gone unsold in the first round of the auction but was bought at base price of Rs 1.5 crore. However, the franchise has appointed Iyer as vice-captain and kept him in the core leadership group.

In an interaction with ANI, Iyer spoke about Rahane being appointed the captain, lauding the batter's experience in leading India and IPL franchises.


Iyer said, “So far, he has been an amazing leader of the group. He has taken the initiative to make conversations with all of us and try to gel with the team. We are talking about someone who has led India across formats and captained IPL teams before. He has a great head on his shoulders, remains composed under pressure, and has been a stalwart of the game. He has scored runs everywhere. For me, it's going to be a great learning experience, and I am quite excited to play under him,”

Venkatesh Iyer on ‘leading’ KKR:

Talking about his role as the vice-captain, Iyer said, "There is no specific preparation for it. I have always carried myself as a leader, so it's not entirely new to me. I have put in the hard yards in both batting and bowling. More than anything, it's about mindset--if you have accepted the role and are willing to take on the responsibility, half the job is already done. Our preparation has been good, and we have a strong group of players. I'm really excited and looking forward to the season."

The 30-year-old further said that he had not spoken with previous year's mentor Gautam Gambhir or captain Shreyas Iyer about leadership duties at the franchise.

"I haven't spoken to them directly about it. Last season, when I was with the team, they were around, but I have always believed that I can contribute as a leader beyond just batting and bowling. The management has trusted me with the role, and I hope to do justice to it," said Iyer.