Ajinkya Rahane is likely set to captain Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025 after being bought for Rs 1.5 crore at the auction. Despite being dropped as Mumbai's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy captain, Rahane's leadership experience is highly regarded,

The 36-year-old batter, who was bought by KKR at his base price of INR 1.5 crore in the recent auction, is set to take on the leadership role following the departure of Shreyas Iyer.

India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had thrown his hat in the ring to become the new captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders, just hours after the franchise acquired him back with a surprise bid of INR 23.75 crore.

Venkatesh Iyer, acquired for Rs23.75 crore, becomes IPL's fourth most expensive player. Ex-KKR captain Eoin Morgan expressed surprise at the bidding war, highlighting Iyer's impact in KKR's past successes.

KKR made several shocking calls in the lead-up to the mega auction by not retaining the two Iyers, including their captain Shreyas, who will now play for Punjab Kings from IPL 2025 onwards.