Reports: KKR to Choose Ajinkya Rahane as Captain for IPL 2025?

At the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction last month, Ajinkya Rahane signed a contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a base price of INR 1.50 crore. He will be playing for the defending champions for the second time. Rahane is the front-runner to captain KKR in the next IPL season if sources are to be believed. The right-handed hitter has led the Indian side in Test cricket and the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

Though the 2024 champions appear to have another player in mind, Venkatesh Iyer, the franchise's top purchase at INR 23.5 crore in the big auction, has emerged as a candidate for the leadership position. Ajinkya Rahane is reportedly the front-runner to captain KKR in the 2025 Indian Premier League. Rahane was reportedly acquired with the sole intention of leading the squad after being purchased at auction for his base price of INR 1.5 crore.

Ajinkya Rahane's future shines bright:

TOI quotes a source close to the team saying, "Yes, at the moment it’s 90% confirmed that Ajinkya Rahane will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders specifically for the purpose of being a viable captaincy option."

Rahane has captained several teams in various formats across contests, demonstrating his leadership abilities. He is now the captain of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy team and has also captained the Indian squad when there were no permanent captains. Rahane has only captained the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 and 2019 IPL seasons, though. Rahane is allegedly going to be given the leadership after KKR was unable to purchase another candidate in the auction.

KKR Captain Race Ajinkya Rahane#IPL2025#KKR pic.twitter.com/AktG4pU9Ld

— Er. Ghulam Rasool Barkaati (@GRBarkaati) December 2, 2024

The extra responsibility, though, might bring out the best in him if he is named the team's captain. The Knight Riders have a reputation for granting their captain considerable autonomy when it comes to making decisions. Rahane would like to help the Kolkata-based squad win the championship again in the 18th edition of the 10-team competition because he is accustomed to the atmosphere there.

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