‘Will they tell Narine not to open…’ - Former cricketer warns KKR of serious ‘Ajinkya Rahane conflict’ in IPL 2025

The veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane was appointed as the skipper by Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025). Rahane will be leading the defending champions in their pursuit to defend the title. The experienced batter led Mumbai to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25.

Notably, Rahane was bought by KKR for an amount of INR 1.5 crores in IPL 2025 mega-auction. Later, the franchise CEO Venky Mysore appointed him as the skipper owing to his vast experience of leading teams in the domestic cricket and in the Indian Premier League as well.

However, there might be some challenges to tackle for KKR in the upcoming season of the tournament. In the same line of events, former India batter Aakash Chopra came with a warning sign for the holders concerning their newly appointed skipper Ajinkya Rahane and his potential contribution for team in the upcoming edition of the tournament.

“For Shreyas Iyer, they've got a domestic middle-order batter, who recently helped his side win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He is in good form. But I do understand because KKR's biggest challenge this season is the 'captain-batter' conflict that Rahane will face. For Rahane the batter, the best thing to do is open at Eden Gardens. Or else, bat at No. 3. Anything lower kills his chance to contribute significantly because he needs the powerplay,” said Aakash Chopra to ESPNCricinfo.

“That is the conflict. Sunil Narine will open and he will open with Quinton de Kock if he is in the team. Now will they tell Narine not to open after the runs he scored last season? Of course, he will open. So, No. 3, which is ideally the position for Venkatesh Iyer, is the best you can do for Rahane. Or else he will have to forgo his own ambitions as a batter,” he added later.