IPL 2025: Top 3 captaincy candidates for Kolkata Knight Riders

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) shocked the cricketing world by choosing to let go of Shreyas Iyer in October. The 29-year-old had led the team to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title win in May in a one-sided affair against Sunrisers Hyderabad. This was also KKR’s first title win in more than a decade of waiting. 

Star batter Rinku Singh was retained with West Indian pair Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. Young Indian stars Ramandeep Singh and Harshit Rana were also retained as uncapped players ahead of the IPL Auctions. This gave KKR a chance to go all out to assemble a team of their choice. 

Venkatesh Iyer’s 23.75 Crore was one of the top 3 prices paid for a player during the IPL Auctions 2025. Some of the other notable players who were brought were Ajinkya Rahane, Quinton De Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Anrich Nortje. With Shreyas Iyer gone, Kolkata will be looking to appoint a new skipper ahead of the new season. 

Here are the top 3 captaincy options for Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2025 season

3- Rinku Singh

27-year-old Rinku Singh could be a potential captaincy candidate for Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL 2025 season. His form with the bat during the IPL 2024 wasn’t great but he made a fine comeback with the bat during the series against Bangladesh. Rinku Singh can be a left-field choice for Kolkata to entrust the captaincy role. The young batter who idolizes MS Dhoni is also known to keep a calm exterior and is known to be a fine finisher with the bat. 

2- Ajinkya Rahane

36-year-old Ajinkya Rahane made it to the Kolkata Knight Riders in the last few rounds of bidding. One cannot forget the captaincy credentials that Rahane brings to the table after he led India to the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2020. Rahane has already led Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and is one of the most experienced names in the league. Chandrakant Pandit and Dwanye Bravo know the quality Rahane brings to the table with his astute decision making. 

1- Venkatesh Iyer 

One of the leading captaincy candidates for Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2025 season is Venkatesh Iyer. The 29-year-old who was brought for INR 23.75 crores was a key reason behind KKR’s title win last season. Apart from being a dangerous batting option, Venkatesh Iyer can also bowl a few overs medium pace. After spending over four years with KKR, the 29-year-old can be considered one of the most experienced and key members of the franchise.