Following much conjecture, the Kolkata Knight Riders, the reigning champions, have announced Ajinkya Rahane as captain and Venkatesh Iyer as vice captain for the 2025 TATA Indian Premier League season. On Saturday, March 22, KKR will play their season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens to kick off their TATA IPL 2025 campaign.

Rahane remarked, “It’s an honor to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL,” after accepting the leadership position. We have a strong, well-rounded team, in my opinion. I’m excited to collaborate with everyone and take on the task of defending our championship.

“We are thrilled to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader,” said Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR, who made the announcement. Additionally, Venkatesh Iyer has a lot of leadership skills and has played for KKR as a franchise player. As we begin the defense of our championship, we have no doubt that they will work well together.

In their four IPL final appearances, KKR has won the title three times (in 2012, 2014, and 2024). They made one of the most incredible comebacks in the tournament’s history, finishing second in the 2021 season. Since Knight Riders took over the team ten years ago, TKR’s men’s team has won the CPL title four times.

They won the championship in 2020 without dropping a single game over the whole competition, making them the most successful team in the Caribbean. In 2022, Knight Riders’ first women’s team, TKR Women, won the first-ever WCPL.