Former Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is a 'value buy' for Kolkata Knight Riders, according to KKR co-owner Juhi Chawla's daughter Jahnavi Mehta. On February 12 and 13, Jahnavi attended the two-day IPL 2022 mega auction event with other KKR officials in Bengaluru.

On Day 2 of the mega auction, Ajinkya Rahane was bought by KKR for his base price of INR 1 crore. Rahane was released by the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. Rahane has been a member of the Indian Premier League since its inception in 2008.

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On Day 2 of the mega auction, franchise co-owner Jahnavi discussed Rahane's transfer to Kolkata and why the former Rajasthan Royals captain is a good value for the Eden Gardens stalwarts.

"Definitely Rahane was a value buy for us. He has been around for ages and adds a lot in terms of leadership. We lost out on Shubhman Gill and Ajinkya can perform that role," Jahnavi told Star Sports during the mega auction of IPL 2022.

She believes Rahane will assist Venkatesh Iyer in his role as KKR's top-order batsman. Rinku Singh, who returned to Kolkata on Day 2 of the mega auction, was also singled out for praise by the KKR co-owner.

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When asked about the captaincy options available to KKR for the upcoming season, Jahnavi concluded by saying that the final decision will be made by the team management.

"He will allow Venkatesh Iyer to play his role and would be the perfect foil. Rinku Singh was part of KKR's academy and he is a homegrown buy. He piles up runs in the First-Class circuit. He has an amazing sense of humor. He is the quintessential team man. Our captaincy will be decided by the team management and we have a lot of options, which we'll look into after the auctions," Jahnavi added.