Ajinkya Rahane was appointed as the new captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday, March 3, ahead of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rahane led Mumbai admirably in Ranji Trophy 2024-25, helping the defending champions reach the semi-finals. He will now look to help KKR defend their title after they emerged victorious last season under Shreyas Iyer's reign.
Rahane was unsold in the first round of the IPL 2025 mega-auction last year. However, KKR signed him for his base price of INR 1.5 crore later during the event. This is Rahane's second stint with KKR after he was released by the franchise following a dismal outing with the bat in IPL 2022, where he scored 133 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 103.91.
Rahane has the experience of leading IPL teams like Rising Pune Supergiant and Rajasthan Royals. However, some fans aren't too pleased with the KKR management's decision to appoint Rahane in the pivotal role. The 36-year-old Rahane is a force to reckon with in red-ball cricket but his ability in the shortest format in the fag end of his career is under the scanner.
Also Read: IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane unveiled as KKR captain
In this article, CricTracker lists three players who could have been better options as KKR's captain for IPL 2025.
3. Rovman Powell
Rovman Powell was signed by KKR for INR 1.50 crore at the IPL 2025 mega-auction. The three-time champions were the only team to bid for the West Indian all-rounder. Powell was released by Rajathan Royals ahead of the auction.
The right-handed batter has been leading the West Indies in the shortest format since February 2023. The Caribbean side has fared decently under his leadership. However, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine will be starting in all the games unless they are injured. Having the 31-year-old as the leader of the side would have left KKR with only one overseas player's spot. They could either have a wicketkeeper or a fast bowler as their fourth overseas player.
2. Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey has been with KKR for a long time. He was the Player of the Final when the Knights won the IPL for the second time in 2014. Pandey knows the management and its policies quite well. He is also accustomed to the dressing room environment and shares a healthy relationship with the stakeholders of the franchise.
While he has had a dismal outing with the bat in domestic cricket this season, even being dropped from the Karnataka team during the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the latter half of the Ranji Trophy, Pandey's experience would have come in handy. He played just one game last season for KKR and contributed with a crucial 42 off 31 balls.
1. Venkatesh Iyer
KKR were desperate to keep Venkatesh Iyer in their squad as they spent INR 23.75 crore at the auction to acquire his services. Fans were expecting that Iyer would be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the side but KKR announced him Rahane's deputy. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder is 30 years old and has a lot of cricket left in him. He will be hungry to prove his mettle and make a comeback to the national team.
The southpaw scored some important runs in the backend of KKR's campaign last season. In fact, he amassed unbeaten half-centuries in Qualifier 1 and the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also shared a great relationship with KKR coach Chandrakant Pandit and their camaraderie could have helped KKR excel.
from IPL 2025 Live Score | IPL News Today, Predictions, Updates & Scores – CricTracker