The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the reigning IPL champions, have announced Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the upcoming 2025 season. He succeeds Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to their third IPL title last year but was subsequently released and bought by Punjab Kings for a significant sum of INR 26.75 Crore. Venkatesh Iyer, a key acquisition for KKR at INR 23.75 Crore, has been named Rahane’s vice-captain.
Rahane stated, “It’s an honor to be asked to lead KKR, a franchise with a rich history of success in the IPL. We have a strong and balanced squad, and I am eager to collaborate with everyone and take on the challenge of defending our title.”
This development marks a remarkable turnaround for the experienced Indian batsman. Initially, Rahane found no buyers in the auction after an underwhelming season with Chennai Super Kings (scoring 242 runs in 13 innings). However, KKR picked him up at his base price of INR 1.50 Crore in the accelerated round.
Since then, Rahane’s form has seen a noticeable improvement. He played a crucial role in Mumbai’s victory in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, emerging as the top run-scorer with 469 runs at an average of 58.62 and a striking strike rate of 164.56.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore commented, “We are delighted to have a leader like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings immense experience and maturity to the team. Venkatesh Iyer also embodies leadership qualities and has been a franchise player for KKR. We are confident in their partnership as we begin our title defense.”
This is Rahane’s second stint with KKR, having been previously signed before the 2022 season. He played seven games that year, scoring 133 runs. He then moved to CSK, where he revitalized his form, becoming a valuable top-order batsman in their title-winning campaign with 326 runs at a strike-rate of 172.49.
Rahane’s captaincy experience in the IPL includes leading Rising Pune Giants in one match in 2017 and Rajasthan Royals for 24 matches subsequently. He has captained in 25 IPL matches, securing 9 wins and facing 16 losses.
Venkatesh Iyer, as Rahane’s deputy, was highly sought after, with KKR outbidding RCB to secure him. KKR first signed Venkatesh in 2021 for his base price. He proved to be a vital top-order batsman, notably in the second half of the 2021 season in the UAE, scoring 370 runs in 10 innings. In 2023, he scored a 51-ball century against Mumbai Indians, becoming only the second KKR batter to achieve an IPL century after Brendon McCullum.
Led by Rahane and Venkatesh, KKR will commence their title defense against RCB in the season opener on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
