The IPL dynamics are always uncertain. The franchises and their Think Tanks does not always look for the stats and numbers for some players. Andre Russell has been with the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2014. Although he has been a good hitter and a match proven winner at times but in seasons like 2020, 2021 and the victory season of 2024 have not proven to be lustrous for him. The KKR is always investing in him for them. But with Shreyas Iyer gone, now they have a void to fill forn the captaincy. Ajinkya Rahane can turn out to be an absolute asset for them this season and now the speculations are such that Rahane is 90% confirmed to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders.
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What about Venkatesh Iyer?
According to The Times of India, Ajinkya Rahane specifically for the purpose of captaincy in this edition. The Knight Riders acquired the 36 year old at Jeddah for a mere 1.50 crore. This was indeed a surprise as Kolkata acquired Venkatesh Iyer for a massive 23.75 crore that made him one of the most high valued players in the auction. Everyone was anticipating that Iyer could be the choice for the captaincy. This could be a huge turnaround for Rahane as he was just from the captaincy of Mumbai in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 edition. He has hammered successive fifties in the ongoing SMAT.
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Rahane and IPL
Ajinkya Rahane’s credentials as a batter is well known. An experienced campaigner who has played for Mumbai, India and various IPL franchises in the past, Rahane will be turning up for the Kolkata Knight Riders this year. Rahane has been a prolific run-scorer at the top-order in the past and he could well be the perfect foil for aggressive opening partners. He has played 185 matches in the IPL for various franchises like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings and has score over 4600 runs with an impressive strike rate of 123.42.
