Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for IPL 2025, with Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain. Rahane expressed his excitement about leading KKR, calling it an honor to captain one of the most successful IPL franchises. He believes the team has a strong and balanced squad capable of defending their title.
Rahane’s inclusion in KKR wasn’t initially planned, as he went unsold in the first round of the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, the franchise secured him for his base price of INR 1.5 crore in the accelerated round. KKR CEO Venky Mysore praised Rahane’s leadership experience and also highlighted Iyer’s value to the franchise.
This marks Rahane’s second stint with KKR after playing for them in 2022. While his performance that year was modest, scoring 133 runs in seven matches, he rediscovered his form with Chennai Super Kings in 2023, scoring 326 runs at a strike rate of 172.48. However, he struggled in IPL 2024, scoring 242 runs, and CSK later released him.
Rahane has firmly established his leadership credentials. He led India to a historic Test series win in Australia in 2020-21 and recently captained Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2024-25, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 469 runs. His IPL captaincy record includes 25 matches, with stints at Rising Pune Super Giant and Rajasthan Royals.
KKR will open the IPL 2025 season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at Eden Gardens. With Rahane named captain, Delhi Capitals remain the only team yet to announce their skipper, following Rishabh Pant’s move to Lucknow Super Giants.
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