The IPL 2025 schedule is out now and the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will start the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22 at Eden Gardens. That means the Indian Premier League IPL 2025 is just over a month away to start, but KKR is still looking for their new captain. They have released Shreyas Iyer before the IPL 2025 auction and are now in search of a new leader. Aakash Chopra, former Indian cricketer has suggested Venkatesh Iyer as a new KKR captain while talking about this topic on his YouTube channel. He has also suggested a few other names but denied the possibility for them to become a KKR captain.
Today, we will see what exactly has Aakash Chopra said about a new KKR captain and why he thinks Venkatesh Iyer could be a potential candidate. So let’s start.
KKR is in search of a New Captain
The defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have released Shreyas Iyer, who won an IPL title as captain in the 2024 season. Now, they are in search of a new captain, with a few options in the team. A former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra has suggested a few names for a new KKR captain in his YouTube video. He said Venkatesh Iyer could be a new KKR captain, considering his IPL contract amount.
IPL 2025: Aakash Chopra thinks Venkatesh Iyer could be a New KKR Captain
Aakash Chopra thinks that the KKR management might consider Venkatesh Iyer as their new captain for the IPL 2025. He stated the reason behind that is the huge money spent by the KKR on Venkatesh Iyer in the IPL 2025 auction. KKR bought the all-rounder for a whopping INR 23.75 crore.
Chopra feels that paying a huge price to Iyer might tempt the franchise to make him a captain.
“KKR went with Venkatesh Iyer. They continued to bid for him in a bidding war against RCB. Eventually, they bought him and I think he could be the next KKR captain.” – Aakashh Chopra said on his YouTube channel (quoted by us).
Chopra also said KKR might get Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, or a few other players for the money they have spent on Iyer.
Chopra considers Rahane and Rinku as a New KKR Captain earlier
Before suggesting Iyer’s name, Aakash Chopra considers Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh as the candidates for a new KKR captain. But, he denied the possibilities for them, stating different reasons.
The former Indian cricketer thinks Rahane might not be in the KKR management’s thought process.
“KKR bought Rahane at the last minute. Rahane’s First-Class form is good and he has done well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well. So it seems like Rahane might get the nod as a KKR captain. I don’t think Rahane will be their new captain.” – Chopra ruling out the possibility of Rahane becoming a new KKR captain. (Quoted by us)
As far as Rinku Singh, Chopra said – Rinku Singh’s stocks should have increased. He is UP’s captain and is a proper player. However, it doesn’t seem like they would make him their captain as well.”
Venkatesh Iyer has done well for KKR in the last few years
The all-rounder has been with the KKR franchise since IPL 2021. He has done well for the team, playing some crucial match-winning knocks over the years. Iyer has also played in different batting positions, as per the team’s requirements.
Recently, he has played an exceptional knock in the IPL 2024 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and took his team over the line. He smashed 52 runs off just 26 balls. His inning includes 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Not just with the bat, Iyer can contribute with the ball as well. He can be an extra seam-bowling option if needed. His all-round ability makes him a valuable asset to the team.
What are the captaincy options for KKR in the IPL 2025?
KKR has quite a few options in the squad for the captaincy. We have already discussed three names; Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, and Rinku Singh. Other than those three, they have Quinton de Kock who has captained South Africa in the past. They have Andre Russell who has captained in a franchise cricket along with R Powell who is the current West Indies captain. They also have Moeen Ali who has been a part of the England T20I team for a while.
So the KKR has the options in the squad. Now, it is interesting to see whom they will pick their new captain.
KKR’s IPL 2025 Squad:-
Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Umran Malik.
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FAQs:-
(1) How many runs Venkatesh Iyer has scored in IPL 2024?
Iyer has scored 370 runs in IPL 2024, with an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.79.
(2) What are the stats of Iyer in IPL?
Iyer has played a total of 50 matches in his IPL career. In those many games, he has scored 1326 runs with an average of 31.57 and with a strike rate of 137.12
