KKR's newly-appointed skipper Ajinkya Rahane seemed visibly irritated by the repeated discussions around Venkatesh Iyer's price tag and said he "deserved that price".
"I want to tell you all that Venkatesh Iyer deserved that price. People are talking about all these things but he has done well for his franchise on a number of occasions. So I think he has deserved that price," Rahane said of his deputy.
Having gone unsold in the initial rounds of the IPL 2025 auction, the veteran India batter was eventually picked for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore.
The 36-year-old Rahane, who has played 185 IPL matches and over 200 international games across formats, has undergone a remarkable transformation in his batting.
He topped the run charts in this year's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 469 runs at an impressive average of 58.62 and a strike rate of over 164, with five half-centuries as Mumbai won the title.
Goal to play as long as possible: Rahane
Determined to extend his playing career, Rahane remains focused on the present.
"My goal is to play as long as possible. But at this moment, I am just focusing on this particular tournament and I don't want to think too far ahead," said Rahane, who had earlier stated his hunger for international comeback was still there.
"I have said this many times that my goal is to be in the moment, try and give my best each and every day.
"And give more than 100 per cent. I never think about my past or the future. I am focusing on my fitness."
Asked whether he expected from his captaincy for KKR, Rahane said, "I was only hearing it from you guys when I was playing domestic cricket."
"It is an honour for me to lead this wonderful franchise. The history is rich, we all know, I mean there are many great players who represented this franchise."
"It will be a challenge for us to defend the title. But again, that's why we play cricket. In this particular format, I feel that you got to give your best on each and every day," he said.
"One single over can turn the game. So for us as a team, it is important that we should give our best. We don't want to think far too ahead."
Rahane also outlined his expectations from his squad as captain.
"As a captain, I only expect from everyone is good intent, good attitude and team always comes first. So I am sure we have a very good squad. All the players are pretty much experienced."
Pandit optimistic
KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit is optimistic about the squad's depth, especially with key players Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana returning from a triumphant Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai.
"Both of them did so well, and they have performed consistently for KKR as well. They were our key players. We also have (Sunil) Narine and others. The confidence they are going to carry from the international level to KKR is something we are looking forward to," said Pandit.
The reigning champions, KKR, will kickstart the IPL 2025 season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata on March 22.
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