On March 22, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season will begin, and the teams have already put together their teams for the two-month cricket competition. Most of the teams underwent significant reorganizations as a result of the November 2024 mega auction.
After playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2022, India’s Ajinkya Rahane envisaged himself returning to the team. The seasoned athlete also envisioned himself as the IPL 2025 season’s captain. The right-hander will therefore become the fourth player overall and the first Indian player to captain three different IPL teams. The other players who have captained three IPL teams are Australian batsman Steve Smith and former Sri Lankan captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
List of players to captain three IPL teams
| Player | Teams |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Punjab Kings, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Punjab Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Delhi Capitals |
| Steve Smith | Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Super Giants, Rajasthan Royals |
The 36-year-old Mumbai batter has captained Rising Pune Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals so far. With him being appointed as KKR captain, he is all set to create the record on the opening night of the season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday.
With him, Ajinkya Rahane brings experience and maturity: CEO Venky Mysore of KKR
Ajinkya Rahane was named the captain rather than Venkatesh Iyer, who was named the vice-captain, and KKR CEO Venky Mysore explained why earlier in the week. With all of the demands and obligations to meet, Mysore demonstrated how grueling an IPL season can be. Iyer was young, and the management did not want to put all that pressure on him.
“The IPL is a very competitive tournament. Venkatesh Iyer is someone we greatly like, but being a captain is also incredibly demanding on a young person. We have witnessed numerous individuals encountering difficulties with it as they progress. We believed Ajinkya brought a lot of maturity, experience, and a really solid hand with him. Mysore stated, “We felt that Ajinkya brings a lot of maturity and experience, as well as a very steady hand.”
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