Kolkata Knight Riders has appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their new captain of the team for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). After Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to their third IPL triumph last season, left the franchise and was picked by Punjab Kings at the IPL 2025 Auction, there was speculation about who would take over the leadership role ahead of the new IPL season. After months of speculation, Kolkata Knight Riders finally broke the news of a new captain. The Kolkata-based franchise has now entrusted veteran Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane with captaincy duties ahead of the IPL 2025, scheduled to take place on March 22. Rahane returned to KKR after he was bought for INR 1.5 crore at the mega IPL auction in November last year. The 36-year-old played for Kolkata Knight Riders for one IPL season in 2022 before plying his trade for Chennai Super Kings from 2023 to 2024. Apart from appointing Ajinkya Rahane as captain, Kolkata Knight Riders have also named Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain for the upcoming IPL season. Iyer was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL auction, but KKR secured the all-rounder’s service through the RTM for a whopping 23.75 crore, making him one of the most expensive players in the history of Indian Premier League.