New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) went all guns blazing at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction as they splurged a whopping Rs 23.75 crore to sign Venkatesh Iyer, making him the third most expensive Indian player in IPL history. Venkatesh also became the third most expensive signing at the IPL 2025 mega auction after Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.
It was a bold decision from KKR, who earlier let go of their former captain Shreyas despite him leading them to their third title in IPL 2024 earlier this year. KKR did go after Shreyas at the auction but pulled out of the race after the bidding war crossed the Rs 10 crore mark as the Indian batter went on to become the second most expensive player in IPL history.
The decision to let go of Iyer might come back to haunt KKR, who failed to secure a proven captaincy candidate at the IPL 2025 mega auction. While they tried to go after Iyer, KKR also entered the bidding war for KL Rahul but eventually failed to get the Team India star. KKR have limited options in their squad as far as captaincy is concerned and might have to name an untested player the leader of the side in IPL 2025.
Top 3 players who can captain KKR in IPL 2025:
1) Venkatesh Iyer
Kolkata Knight Riders spent huge money to resign Venkatesh Iyer at the IPL 2025 mega auction as they bought him for a staggering Rs 23.75 crore. While he has been a consistent performer with the bat in the top order, Venkatesh has not led KKR. He has also not captained at the domestic level. However, he has been part of the KKR setup for a while now having been with the franchise since IPl 2021.
Venkatesh is the favourite to lead KKR next season as he shares a great bond with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, who is also the coach of his domestic team Madhya Pradesh. When asked about the prospect of leading KKR in IPL 2025, the Indian all-rounder had recently said he would be open to taking over the captaincy baton.
2) Ajinkya Rahane
If Kolkata Knight Riders decide against making Venkatesh Iyer the captain to ensure he is not burdened too much considering the significant pressure on him of his price tag, they might take a punt on the experienced Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane has led the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and has also captained India in Tests.
The veteran batter was a last-minute pick for KKR at the IPL 2025 mega auction and was bought at his base price of Rs 1.5 crore. Rahane’s numbers in IPL have been far from impressive but he can be a great leader if backed by the team management. However, there will always remain concerns regarding his consistency with the bat and his ability to match the pace of the game.
3) Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine is one of the oldest warhorses in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad having been with the franchise since 2012. Narine played a key role with both the bat and the ball to help KKR win their third title last season and can be a contender for captaincy if KKR decide to go with experience. However, Narine is not the favourite.
He has been linked with KKR captaincy in the past as well but Narine has maintained he is not interested in captaining the team. He also doesn’t have a great record as captain in other franchise leagues and head coach Chandrakant Pandit might prefer working with an Indian player as captain of the three-time champions.
After letting go of Shreyas Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) failed to get a proven captaincy candidate at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Here is a look at three strong contenders who can lead KKR in IPL 2025. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
