Ajinkya Rahane excited to learn from Dwayne Bravo at KKR
What's the story
Kolkata Knight Riders's (KKR) newly appointed captain Ajinkya Rahane is looking forward to learning from Dwayne Bravo. The T20 superstar will join KKR as a mentor for IPL 2025. Rahane's excitement comes from Bravo's experience and work ethic in the T20 format. "It is really exciting to work with him," Rahane told the media on Thursday. "Obviously, he's been the [second] most capped T20 player in history, so he brings a lot of experience to the table."
Mentor's credentials
Bravo's impressive T20 record
With 17 T20 titles, Dwayne Bravo is the most decorated player in T20 history. His five CPL titles as captain are behind MS Dhoni (9) and Rohit Sharma (8). All this experience makes Bravo an invaluable asset to KKR as they gear up for IPL 2025. Rahane also praised Bravo's dedication to his craft, saying he's heard about his hardworking nature and that he often engages with bowlers during matches.
Player performance
Rahane's successful return to IPL
Rahane's return to KKR follows a tough 2021 season with the franchise. He was the highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, against all odds. The player was bought for ₹1.5 crore (approximately $180,000) by KKR after being ignored by all teams and picked at his base price in the accelerated round of auctions. This twist in the tale makes Rahane's KKR comeback even more interesting.
Team dynamics
Rahane supports Venkatesh Iyer's price tag
Rahane also spoke in favor of teammate Venkatesh Iyer for his exorbitant price tag of ₹23.75 crore (approximately $2.83 million). "I have always played wherever the team wanted me to play throughout my career, and that's been my thinking," said Rahane. He stressed he would give his best performance according to the team's needs, but also said Iyer deserves this price for his consistent performance for KKR.