Ajinkya Rahane Named KKR Captain Ahead of IPL 2025

Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed as the new captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2025, succeeding Shreyas Iyer. Rahane will be assisted by Venkatesh Iyer, who was acquired by KKR for a record INR 23.75 Crore.

Rahane's Appointment

"It's an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL. 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," Rahane said.

Rahane's Background

Rahane initially found no takers in the auction following an underwhelming season with Chennai Super Kings (242 runs in 13 innings). However, he was picked up by KKR in the accelerated round for his base price of INR 1.50 Crore. Since then, there has been a noticeable uptick in his form, including topping the run charts with 469 runs at an average of 58.62 and a stunning strike rate of 164.56 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.

Venkatesh Iyer's Role

Venkatesh Iyer has been named Rahane's deputy and brings a lot of leadership qualities to the table. He was acquired by KKR for a record INR 23.75 Crore and has been a vital top-order batter for the side.

KKR's Title Defence

With Rahane and Venkatesh at the helm, KKR will begin their title defence with the season opener against RCB on March 22 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.