Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the defending champions, have selected Ajinkya Rahane as their captain and Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain for IPL 2025.
According to KKR’s approach during the IPL mega auction in November, it appears that Rahane was not initially included in their plans. This was evident as he did not receive any bids on the first day and was eventually purchased by KKR on the second day at his base price of INR 1.5 crore during the accelerated round before the auction concluded.
According to KKR’s strategy during the IPL mega auction in November, it seems that Rahane was not initially included in their plans. This was evident when he went unsold on the first day of the auction and was later picked up by KKR for his base price of INR 1.5 crore during the accelerated round on the second day, right before the auction concluded.
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Rahane is set to return to KKR, where he previously played in 2022 and scored 133 runs in seven matches with a strike rate of 103.90. He then went on to have a successful season at Chennai Super Kings in 2023, scoring 326 runs with a strike rate of 172.48. However, his performance for CSK dipped in IPL 2024 as he only made 242 runs with a strike rate of 123.46, resulting in his release from the team last year.
Rahane’s leadership skills have garnered praise in the past, particularly when he led India to victory in a Test series against Australia during the 2020-21 season. He also commands respect within the domestic circuit, having successfully guided Mumbai to multiple titles, including the most recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024-25. Notably, Rahane was also the top scorer of that tournament, amassing 469 runs at an impressive strike rate of 164.56 and an average of over 58.
Having led in a total of 25 IPL games, he served as captain for Rising Pune Super Giant in 2017 and then led Rajasthan Royals for 24 matches in 2018-19. However, during the 2019 season, he was replaced by Steve Smith halfway through.
Iyer, who was not among KKR’s six retained players for the upcoming mega auction in November, ended up being bought by the franchise for a hefty sum of INR 23.75 crore. This makes him the fourth most expensive purchase ever in IPL auction history.
Iyer joined KKR for the 2021 IPL season and has remained a crucial member of the team. He played a vital role in their championship victory last year, amassing 370 runs at an impressive strike rate of 158.79.
KKR will be hosting the first game of the season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on March 22. This opportunity has been earned by their previous victory in the IPL in 2024. In that same year, they emerged victorious for the third time by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final match, with Shreyas Iyer as their captain. However, he is now leading Punjab Kings as he was not retained by KKR.
After KKR’s announcement of Rahane as their captain, the only remaining team without a confirmed leader is Delhi Capitals (DC). Last season, Rishabh Pant led DC but he was not retained and will now be leading his new team, Lucknow Super Giants, in IPL 2025.
