Captaincy Dilemma: Who Will Lead KKR in IPL 2025?

The captaincy debate for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has been a hot topic since the conclusion of the IPL 2025 auction. Despite securing the IPL 2024 title under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership, the franchise made the surprising decision to release him before the new season. Following the auction, the race for captaincy has narrowed down to two strong candidates: Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer. Rahane brings experience, but Venkatesh, acquired for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore, appears to be a front-runner.

KKR CEO Weighs In

KKR CEO Venky Mysore addressed the uncertainty surrounding the leadership role during a post-auction interview. 

“Well, you know that. To be honest, we have to sit down and take stock. Sometimes what happens is, after you've done all of these things, you just have to sit down, reflect, look at the whole thing. There are stakeholders and parts of the think tank won't be here. So we'll all sit down and have a proper chat about that, and I'm sure a proper decision will be made,” Mysore was quoted as saying to the broadcasters.

Venkatesh Iyer Expresses Readiness

Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer has openly expressed his willingness to take on the captaincy mantle. Speaking about his potential leadership role, he recalled previous opportunities where he led the team in Nitish Rana’s absence.

"I've always believed that captaincy is just a tag, but leadership is about creating an environment where everyone feels they can play for this team and contribute. If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on.