In a surprising turn of events, Ajinkya Rahane has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner to captain the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025. The defending champions acquired the experienced cricketer at the IPL 2025 auction for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore.
With KKR searching for a new captain after parting ways with Shreyas Iyer before the mega auction, Rahane’s leadership credentials have made him a prime candidate.
According to a report by Times of India, Rahane’s appointment as KKR’s captain is “90%” confirmed. The franchise reportedly signed the 36-year-old not only for his experience but also as a strong captaincy option.
Currently, KKR lacks a clear leader among their squad, though there were rumors about their most expensive buy, Venkatesh Iyer, potentially taking over the captaincy. However, with Rahane likely to receive the role, KKR might have executed a smart strategic move.
A source told TOI, “Yes, at the moment it’s 90% confirmed that Ajinkya will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by KKR specifically as a viable captaincy option.”
While Rahane is currently the captain of Mumbai in red-ball cricket, he was replaced by Shreyas Iyer before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, as the Mumbai Cricket Association opted for a younger leader. Rahane was released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, after having spent some memorable seasons with MS Dhoni’s team.
Throughout his career, Rahane has captained various teams, most notably leading India to a historic Test series victory in Australia in 2020-21, when regular captain Virat Kohli was unavailable.