Battle for KKR captaincy? Ajinkya Rahane steals SMAT show with another whirlwind knock, outclasses Venkatesh Iyer
The 2024 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is gradually building towards a potential face-off in the final between former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, with the two reportedly in the race to become the next captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders. On Wednesday, both their respective teams reached the semifinal, with Rahane and Iyer playing match-winning roles. But it was the performance of the veteran India batter that stood out in the quarterfinal round.
For the second consecutive time in a chase of a 200-plus record, Rahane smashed a fifty-plus score in a winning cause. After 95 off just 45 against Andhra in the round of 16, Rahane clobbered 10 boundaries and three sixes in his 45-ball knock of 84 as Mumbai chased down the target of 222 with four balls to spare.
Rahane, who was roped in by KKR during the mega auction last month for the IPL 2025 season, forged a blazing 83-run opening stand along with Prithvi Shaw, who finally gave a glimpse of his best in a fiery 26-ball 49. Although Vidarbha bounced back with three quick wickets, including that of captain Shreyas Iyer, Rahane found support in India’s T20 World Cup-winning player Shivam Dube, who later stitched a blitzkrieg 67-run stand with Suryansh Shedge to help Mumbai win by six wickets and reach the final. The left-handed batter hit one four and two sixes in his unbeaten 22-ball 37.
Earlier in the day, Venkatesh, who was acquired by KKR for a jaw-dropping price of INR 23.75 crore at the auction last month, starred for Madhya Pradesh with his all-round brilliance. Although he made a sluggish start to his knock as Madhya Pradesh looked to chase down 174 against Saurashtra, taking seven deliveries to score the first two runs, he settled into an anchor role to allow his teammates to flourish. Venkatesh, who also picked up two wickets with the ball, eventually remained unbeaten at 38 off 33.
Who will be the next KKR captain?
With KKR failing to grab an obvious captaincy option at the mega auction in Jeddah across two days, Venkatesh was quick to throw his hat in the ring to become the next leader of the franchise. He also reminded that he had led the team previously when Nitish Rana was injured during the 2023 season, as he served as the vice-captain then.
However, a report in Times of India earlier this month revealed that KKR are looking at naming Rahane as the next captain. “Yes, at the moment it’s 90% confirmed that Ajinkya will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by KKR specifically for the purpose of being a viable captaincy option,” a source had told TOI.
