Published: Mar 03, 2025, 05:20 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 03, 2025, 05:20 PM (IST)
Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has been given the captaincy duty of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
Rahane has played most of his international matches in whites, and now has established himself in the shortest format. This was clearly visible in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where he turned out to be the leading run-scorer, wit 469 runs.
Rahane is going to replace Shreyas Iyer as the skipper of KKR, with Iyer set to lead Punjab Kings (PBKS) this season. Shreyas broke his ties with KKR after a victorious campaign in the last edition.
“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,” said Rahane in a statement.
Rahane was the leader of the Indian team during a historic Test series in Australia during 2020-21 season, and he also led Mumbai to the semifinals of the recently-concluded Ranji Trophy.
He used to captain Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL, but he got replaced by Steve Smith during the 2019 season. This year, KKR bought him for his base price of Rs. 1.5 crore. Since the franchise did not have much choice, with Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh, they chose to go with Rahane.
As the IPL 2025 season begins, KKR will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens on March 22.
