Former India player Aakash Chopra has said that Ajinkya Rahane’s appointment as the KKR skipper for IPL 2025 could cause a massive conflict. He further shared that Rahane is best suited to bat at No. 3 but is unlikely to get that position in the KKR’s batting lineup. However, KKR recently announced Rahane as their captain and Venkatesh Iyer as his deputy for IPL 2025 as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “What will be the challenge? I feel Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, and Ajinkya Rahane, the batter, is a conflict. This is a huge conflict. Shreyas Iyer used to bat at No. 4. The No. 4 slot has become vacant and not the ones higher. No. 4 is not the position where he should be batting. He will like the Kolkata pitch but he needs to bat in the powerplay overs. For that, he needs to bat at No. 3, but the No. 3 slot is not available. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, needs someone else at No. 3 but Ajinkya Rahane, the batter, has to bat at No. 3. This is the biggest conflict we will see unfolding. Where would he bat, that’s the big question.”

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However, Aakash Chopra also stated that Ajinkya Rahane’s vast experience as a captain and the stability he would provide would help KKR in IPL 2025.

“What all does Ajinkya Rahane bring to the table? Firstly, he has excellent captaincy experience. He is slightly underrated and underappreciated. He brings stability to the table. If you want a stable captain, if you have to keep the team totally settled, Ajinkya Rahane will do that without a shadow of doubt. He is a thorough team man. His wont is to keep the team ahead of himself. He will bring stability, continuity and calmness,” Aakash Chopra concluded.