By Moneycontrol Sports Desk | March 3, 2025
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On a bright Monday afternoon at 3:33 PM, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) officially announced Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the IPL 2025 season. The experienced batter, long speculated to take over the leadership, will replace Shreyas Iyer, who guided KKR to the IPL 2024 title.
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While Rahane was considered a frontrunner, there was also buzz around KKR’s record Rs 23.75 crore signing, Venkatesh Iyer, as a potential candidate for the role.
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Rahane is no stranger to leadership in the IPL, having previously captained two other franchises. Let’s delve into his track record as an IPL skipper.
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Rahane captained one match during the 2017 IPL season when regular skipper Steve Smith was sidelined due to food poisoning.
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Rahane led RR in 24 matches over two seasons. However, in 2019, he was replaced mid-season by Steve Smith following the team’s inconsistent performances.
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He stepped in as captain of the Indian Test team in Virat Kohli’s absence, guiding India to a historic Test series win in Australia in 2020-21.
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Rahane has also led Mumbai in domestic tournaments, further highlighting his leadership experience beyond the IPL.