Irfan Pathan, the former all-rounder for India, believes that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the defending champions, will feel the absence of Shreyas Iyer's leadership in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Iyer, who guided KKR to their third title last season, was not retained by the franchise. Pathan also noted that the team will miss the contributions of Gautam Gambhir in the support staff.

Gambhir, along with Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate, has departed from KKR's coaching team to join the senior men's Indian national team. In IPL 2025, Ajinkya Rahane will take over as captain, with Venkatesh Iyer serving as his vice-captain.

Dwayne Bravo has stepped in as the new mentor, while Chandrakant Pandit assumes the role of head coach. Pathan is optimistic that Rahane's batting experience will positively influence his leadership during the IPL 2025 season, which begins on Saturday, March 22. KKR is set to face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Pathan expressed concern regarding Rahane's batting position, suggesting that he should not bat lower than number three, which presents a challenge for the team's top order. Additionally, he mentioned that KKR will miss England's wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt, who has signed with RCB for IPL 2025.

"KKR will certainly feel the loss of Shreyas Iyer's captaincy. With Gautam Gambhir absent from the dugout, that is another significant gap. Iyer has a strong instinct for captaincy and is somewhat underrated. It is unfortunate that he has joined a team that has yet to win the IPL. If he performs well there, he may shed that underrated label. Ajinkya Rahane brings valuable experience, having captained both Mumbai and India. My only concern is how Ajinkya Rahane, as a captain, will align with Ajinkya Rahane, the batsman," Pathan shared with Jatin Sapru on his YouTube channel.

Phil Salt and Sunil Narine made significant contributions last season. There may be a strong inclination for Rahane to move up the batting order, and the team management might share this sentiment. He should not bat lower than the third position. If Rahane does not open the innings, he might feel that he is more effective in that role. Gautam Gambhir has unwavering faith in Sunil Narine; the question remains whether others can extend him the same level of confidence. Numerous thoughts will likely occupy their minds. Additionally, the absence of Shreyas Iyer's middle-order batting will be felt, he noted.

Rahane will mentor Venkatesh Iyer

Irfan Pathan believes that serving as the vice-captain for IPL 2025 will not be an excessive burden for Venkatesh Iyer, who was acquired at the mega auction for INR 23.75 crore. Initially, many anticipated that Venkatesh Iyer would take on the captaincy for KKR. However, the franchise surprised everyone by appointing Rahane, who was bought for INR 1.50 crore, as captain.

"They have named Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain so that Ajinkya Rahane can mentor him. Rahane is eager to demonstrate his capabilities, and I believe he will feel secure in his role while guiding Venkatesh Iyer. He is known for fostering teamwork," Pathan stated.

KKR squad for IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali.

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