Ajinkya Rahane, who was roped in for INR 1.50 crore by the IPL 2024 champions, Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, is likely to get the leadership role. This will be the second stint of Rahane with KKR. Previously, he was with KKR in IPL 2022. Rahane is an experienced cricketer and has captained Rajasthan Royals previously. He also holds the experience of leading the Indian Test team and has won some great games under his captaincy. He was also the captain of Mumbai in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before Shreyas Iyer replaced him as a captain in the ongoing SMAT 2024. Rahane struggled with the bat during his time with KKR in IPL 2024 as the batter managed only 133 runs in seven matches played by him in that season. However, in the next season, he had a revival with the Chennai Super Kings where he scored 326 runs at a blistering strike rate of 172.49, which was a surprise for everyone. Also Read | Watch: Rohit Sharma Fulfills Fan’s 10-Year Wait for Autograph In IPL 2024, the performance of Rahane saw a dip as the player scored only 242 runs in 13 matches. Handing captaincy to Rahane in IPL 2025 might affect in a positive for both him and KKR. The defending champions are known for giving the complete freedom to their captain and Rahane, who has been a part of this franchise previously, knows how things work and hence, making him the captain would benefit the franchise in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Prior to this reports, there were speculations that Venkatesh Iyer, who was acquired by KKR for a whopping amount of INR 23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, will be leading the side in the upcoming season. However, there are higher chances of the experienced Indian player leading the roster.