Ajinkya Rahane appointed as the skipper for KKR’s 2025 IPL season with Venkatesh Iyer being the vice-captain.
Ajinkya Rahane to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025.
Rahane might not have been in KKR’s original intentions, based on the way the bidding went at the IPL mega auction last November. When his name appeared for the first time on the first day of the auction, he was unsold, and only when his name appeared again as part of the expedited round on the second day, right before the auction concluded, was he purchased by KKR at his base price of INR 1.5 crore.
“It’s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL,” Rahane said. “I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title.”
“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 defense of our title.”
Rahane had previously played for KKR in 2022, scoring just 133 runs with a strike rate of 103.90 in seven games. This will be his second stint with the team. Rahane had a comeback with the Chennai Super Kings after that year, scoring 326 runs at a strike-rate of 172.48 in 2023. Rahane’s IPL 2024 performance was lacking, as he was let go by CSK after scoring 242 runs with a strike rate of 123.46 the previous season.
In the local circuit, Rahane has led Mumbai to multiple titles, most recently the 2024–25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His leadership has also been highly regarded in the past; in 2020–21, he was captain when India won a Test series in Australia.
Iyer has been with KKR since 2021, and they were his first IPL team. With 370 runs at a strike rate of 158.79, he played a significant role in their championship campaign the previous year. He had stated that he was “definitely ready” to lead KKR if given the captaincy in a previous interview with ESPNcricinfo.
Due to their 2024 IPL victory, KKR will host the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on March 22. Under the direction of Shreyas Iyer, who was not retained and is currently captain of the Punjab Kings, they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL final, winning them their third championship.