Ajinkya Rahane Likely to Captain KKR in IPL 2025 After Shreyas Iyer’s Departure

In an unexpected twist, seasoned Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane is reportedly set to captain the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2025 IPL season. Rahane, who was released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, was acquired by KKR for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore.

Rahane’s recent exclusion from India’s squad and his replacement as Mumbai’s captain for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy raised questions about his leadership prospects. However, KKR’s decision to rope him in appears to be driven by his captaincy potential.

According to a report in The Times of India, KKR had Rahane in mind for a leadership role, with a source revealing, “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."

The 35-year-old cricketer is no stranger to leadership, having previously captained Rajasthan Royals. Over the years, Rahane has played for several IPL teams, including Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Supergiant, and CSK.

This marks Rahane’s second stint with KKR after a brief spell in IPL 2022, which ended in disappointment as he managed only 133 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 103.91. Following that, his resurgence with CSK in IPL 2023 saw him score 326 runs at an impressive strike rate of 172.49, helping CSK clinch their fifth title. However, IPL 2024 proved challenging for both Rahane and CSK, with the batter contributing 242 runs at a strike rate of 123.47 and the team failing to make the playoffs.

KKR’s decision to pursue Rahane for the captaincy comes after Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the IPL 2024 title, was picked up by Punjab Kings for a record Rs 26.75 crore. Another potential candidate for the role is Venkatesh Iyer, who KKR retained for Rs 23.75 crore. Despite the speculation, the franchise has yet to make an official announcement regarding its captain for the upcoming season.