Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane will lead defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025. Venkatesh Iyer has been named vice-captain.
Rahane’s previous leadership experience in the IPL spans 25 matches: one for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 and 24 for Rajasthan Royals in 2018-19. He was replaced by Steve Smith mid-way through the 2019 season.
But it was his stint with the Indian team that has made him a respected figure on the circuit. Leading from the front, he helped India win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in 2020-21 in a stand-in capacity after Virat Kohli took a break following an innings defeat in the first Test.
On the domestic circuit too, he led Mumbai to several titles, most recently the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was also the highest run-scorer in that tournament, accumulating 469 runs at a strike rate of 164.56 and an average of over 58.
This will be Rahane’s second stint at KKR, having played for them in 2022, when he scored only 133 runs in seven matches. Rahane excelled in his role at Chennai Super Kings in 2023, when he scored 326 runs at a strike-rate of 172.48. He was released by CSK after IPL 2024 when he made 242 runs at a strike rate of 123.46.
“It’s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL,” Rahane said, ahead of the season-opener at Eden Gardens on March 22. “I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to... taking up the challenge of defending our title.”
He may not have been a part of KKR’s initial plans, going by how the bidding unfolded. KKR did try for their victorious captain Shreyas Iyer when the bidding started but then backed out once the price zoomed.
Rahane was unsold when his name came up the first time on the opening day of the auction. With no other captaincy option in sight, KKR bought him at his base price of ₹1.5 crore when his name came up again as part of the accelerated round on the second day.
As captain, Rahane is known to bring in out-of-the-box ideas and dynamism in terms of strategy and game planning. He can also inspire the youngsters to excel in their roles.
There had been much speculation and dilly-dallying over who could lead KKR given Rahane’s proven track record and Venkatesh Iyer’s key role in their title-winning campaign last season. Ultimately, the team management kept their faith in Rahane’s experience.
“We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said. “Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defence of our title.”
Venkatesh hadn’t been part of KKR’s six retained players ahead of the mega auction but was picked up by the franchise for ₹23.75 crore.