Kolkata Knight Riders are prepared for the 2025 IPL season under new leadership, focusing on strong retained players like Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer. With experienced all-rounders including Andre Russell and Sunil Narine,

Ahead of the start of the IPL 2025 season, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Venkatesh Iyer admitted that he feels the pressure of his hefty price tag of Rs 23.75 crore after being bought by the franchise in last year's mega auction.

On March 3, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced that Ajinkya Rahane will lead them in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting from March 22. His appointment came after the franchise released their IPL 2024 winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, before the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The 30-year-old Iyer, who reunited with KKR during the IPL 2025 mega auction last November with a hefty price tag of Rs 23.75 crore, recounted MS Dhoni's moment of "real captaincy" that left him gobsmacked during a CSK-KKR tie in Chennai.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore explained choosing Ajinkya Rahane as captain over Venkatesh Iyer, citing Rahane's experience and maturity. Rahane's successful leadership in IPL and international cricket, along with his long history in the league.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which is scheduled to start from March 22.

Ajinkya Rahane was named the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the IPL 2025 season, with the franchise choosing experience over youth in their leadership decision. KKR CEO Venky Mysore revealed that while Venkatesh Iyer was considered for the role,

The defending Champions are set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening game of IPL 2025 on March 22.

WATCH - KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane offers worship ahead of title-defending IPL 2025 season (Source: KKR) The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are among the most successful IPL teams with three titles under their belt in the cash-rich league.