Ajinkya Rahane in KKR (Source: @KnightClub_KKR/X)
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday confirmed their new captain for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Purple and Gold side to succeed Shreyas Iyer, who helped them win the prestigious title after a decade-long wait.
KKR Announces Captain For IPL 2025
The news was confirmed on KKR’s official X (formerly Twitter) account with a post that read:
🚨 Official Announcement - "Ajinkya Rahane named captain of KKR. Venkatesh Iyer named Vice-Captain of KKR for TATA IPL 2025."
Ajinkya Rahane's Past Stint With KKR
Rahane is making a return to KKR after spending two seasons with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he improved his T20 game and even made a comeback to the Indian national team. In 2022, he played seven matches for KKR, scoring 133 runs.
The Mumbai batter has plenty of leadership experience, having captained Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and 2019, and serving as India’s vice-captain during Virat Kohli’s tenure as skipper. Tactically a brilliant leader, Rahane has also been captaining his domestic team, Mumbai, and has done well with the side.
Interestingly, another captaincy candidate, Venkatesh Iyer was snubbed for the role, but he was made the KKR vice-captain.
KKR will kick off their title defense against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the opening match of IPL 2025 on March 22.