"Taxing On...": KKR CEO On Picking Ajinkya Rahane Over Venkatesh Iyer For Captaincy

Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore revealed the reason behind choosing Ajinkya Rahane as the skipper of the defending champions instead of going with their record-signing Venkatesh Iyer. Before the captaincy announcement, there were speculations about Rahane and Iyer being the front-runners for the captaincy. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder wasn't among the list of retentions and appeared in the mega auction. KKR broke the bank and had to shell out a whopping Rs 23.75 crore to bring him back to the franchise.

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. According to Mysore, the management decided to opt for Rahane to ensure captaincy didn't become a taxing affair on Iyer.

"IPL is quite an intense tournament. Clearly, we think very well of Venkatesh Iyer, but at the same time, it [captaincy] is taxing on a youngster. We have seen lots of people having lots of challenges with it [handling captaincy] as they go forward. It takes a very steady hand, takes a lot of maturity and experience, which we felt Ajinkya brings with him," Mysore told ESPNcricinfo.

Rahane will begin his second stint with the franchise in the upcoming IPL 2025. His resume boasts his immense experience in leading a side to glory.

He has captained India to eight wins in 11 games across formats. He features among the most successful captains in domestic cricket. In the cash-rich league, he has captained in 25 matches across two franchises, once at Rising Pune Supergiant and the rest at Rajasthan Royals.

Mysore believes Rahane's wealth of experience can only be