Kolkata Knight Riders' newly-appointed skipper Ajinkya Rahane joined the camp in the 'City of Joy' as the franchise uploaded a video of the same on their social media platform of X. In the video, the 36-year-old was heard saying 'Ki Khobor' as he was wearing a cool outfit and got a grand reception.
The defending champions surprisingly didn't retain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the auction despite the right-handed batter captaining the franchise to a title win last year. With Rahane getting released by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the Knight Riders snapped him for his base price of ₹1.5 crore in the auction held at Saudi Arabia last November. He was announced as captain recently, with Venkatesh Iyer appointed as his deputy.
The veteran right-handed batter also has captaincy experience in the IPL, having led the Rajasthan Royals.
Below is the video of Rahane's arrival:
"I think we have an excellent and balanced squad" - Ajinkya Rahane
Earlier, Rahane reacted to his appointment as captain, claiming that it's an honour to lead the franchise and hope to find success. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, the elegant right-hander said:
"It's an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL. I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title."
The defending champions will be in action on the very first day of the tournament, kicking off on March 22 as they face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
