Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their new captain and Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
The 36-year-old Rahane replaces title-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer as new KKR skipper. Shreyas, who led KKR to title win in IPL 2024 was bought by Punjab Kings in the Mega IPL Auction a few months ago and has been appointed as the captain of the Punjab-based franchise.
“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.
Rahane was picked up by KKR for his base price of INR 1.50 Cr in the accelerated round of Mega IPL Auction. On the other hand, Venkatesh was bought back by KKR for INR 23.75 crore, the third most expensive purchase at the auction.
“We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader. Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defense of our title,” said KKR CEO Venky Mysore in a statement.
This will be the second season for Rahane at KKR, having previously played for them in the 2022 season. He was only picked in seven games that year where he managed just 133 runs.
KKR, who have won three titles (2012, 2014, 2024), will begin their IPL 2025 campaign with the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, March 22.
KKR Complete Squad For IPL 2025
Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Umran Malik.