IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane named KKR Captain, Venkatesh Iyer appointed vice-captain
PTC Web Desk: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their new captain for IPL 2025 season, replacing Shreyas Iyer, who exited the franchise before the auction. KKR’s high-profile signing, Venkatesh Iyer, has been named vice-captain for the upcoming season.
Rahane rejoins KKR after a two-year stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he redefined his T20 game and secured a return to India’s Test squad for the 2023 World Test Championship final. Earlier, he played for KKR in the 2022 season, scoring 133 runs in seven matches. The experienced batter has led Rajasthan Royals in the past and has also captained Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.
Expressing his excitement about leading KKR, Rahane stated, “It’s an honour to captain one of the most successful IPL franchises. We have a strong and well-balanced squad, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of defending our title.”
KKR CEO Venky Mysore praised Rahane’s leadership and experience, emphasising the team's confidence in their captain-vice captain duo. “Ajinkya brings immense maturity and leadership, while Venkatesh, a core KKR player, possesses strong leadership qualities. We believe they will work well together as we aim to retain our title,” Mysore said.
Venkatesh Iyer, who has been with KKR since 2021, was one of the franchise’s most expensive buys at Rs23.75 crore during the IPL 2025 auction. KKR will begin their title defense against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22, the opening day of IPL 2025.
KKR 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.
- With inputs from agencies
