Ajinkya Rahane KKR captain IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane is likely to be appointed as the captain of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, according to reports from the Times of India on December 2. The 36-year-old batter, who was bought by KKR at his base price of INR 1.5 crore in the recent auction, is set to take on the leadership role following the departure of Shreyas Iyer.
Iyer, who captained KKR in the 2023 season, was bought by Punjab Kings for a massive Rs 26.75 crore, leaving KKR without a captain for the 2025 season. Sources have confirmed that Rahane is now the frontrunner to lead the franchise, with reports suggesting that his role as a captaincy option was one of the key reasons for his acquisition.
A source close to the development told TOI, “Yes, at the moment it’s 90% confirmed that Ajinkya will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by KKR specifically for the purpose of being a viable captaincy option.”
While there were initial speculations that all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who was purchased for Rs 23.75 crore, could step into the leadership role, Rahane has now emerged as the leading candidate.
Rahane, who has captained both Rising Pune Supergiants (now defunct) and Rajasthan Royals in the past, brings valuable leadership experience to KKR. He captained Rajasthan in 24 IPL matches, winning 9 and losing 15. Despite not captaining since 2018, Rahane’s experience and leadership potential make him a strong choice for KKR.
In the IPL 2022 season, Rahane played for KKR but struggled with the bat, scoring just 133 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 103.91. He was released by KKR but later found form with Chennai Super Kings, scoring 568 runs in two seasons at a much-improved strike rate of 147.5.
Interestingly, Rahane was recently removed as the captain of Mumbai for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and replaced by Shreyas Iyer, the very player he is set to replace as KKR’s skipper. The move highlights the full circle of leadership changes as Rahane looks poised to take charge of KKR in IPL 2025.