He led the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025.
Over the course of the 18 seasons of the Indian Premier League, Ajinkya Rahane has represented six franchises. He started his IPL journey with the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural season, and went on to play for many other franchises. His most notable stint has been with the Rajasthan Royals. Rahane was a part of the inaugural champions’ side for seven years, and draws a lot of his inspiration from sharing close quarters with his idol, Rahul Dravid. He was a part of the Rising Pune Supergiant for two seasons, in 2016 & 2017 respectively. He led the Kolkata Knight Riders in the last season. Unfortunately, the team finished eighth on the points table and couldn’t qualify.
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Rahane’s batting style has never been what masses refer to as entertaining for the shortest format. His game always carries a touch of class and poise. The 37-year-old is not someone who can go berserk from ball one. To say the least, aggression is not something that comes naturally to him. But over time, he has proved that he can adapt to the fast-paced game and can strike as per the requirements of the situation. The former Indian vice-captain also has a tremendous ability to maintain composure in pressure situations. It is due to this ability, that teams see him as a probable candidate for captaincy.
Rahane has scored 5032 runs in the IPL, playing 198 matches for six different franchises. His best season in terms of runs came in 2012, in which he notched 560 runs in 16 matches with a hundred under his belt.
Having said that, he was handed the captaincy for the three-time IPL champions recently, with Venkatesh Iyer as his deputy. But after the first six fixtures of the season, the Knight Riders lost track. They were only able to win two of the remaining eight fixtures. Due to this, there is a high possibility that the franchise might be on the lookout to replace Rahane as the skipper. Results are not everything, but in a tournament like the IPL, they hold an important place. Therefore, here are the three teams who could be in contention to sign a contract with the Mumbai captain, if KKR release him ahead of the next season.
One of the teams which can lookout for Ajinkya Rahane is Delhi Capitals. The franchise possesses a solid opening combination, with KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis in the mix. But their batting line-up lacks depth, which originates from the middle-order. Skipper Axar Patel took the mantle of batting at No.4 in many of the matches this season, and the franchise might be tempted to include the services of someone like Rahane in the top three. The current KKR Skipper is known for his ability to rotate the strike and can also anchor the innings from one end.
To add to that, Rahane has scored 295 runs in 12 matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, which is home to the Capitals. He also holds a healthy average in excess of 35 at the venue. With Abhishek Porel in the mix already, the management can also look at Rahane as an option for the opening slot. This will help the franchise with some experience at the top. But most importantly, Rahane at No.3 will mean that the Capitals will get an anchor around whom the other batters can bat. The 37-year-old can be the reason that can allow players like Tristan Stubbs play their natural game.
The Rishabh Pant led side might find it difficult to retain both their overseas openers in Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram for the next season. And that is where Ajinkya Rahane can come in as an option. The franchise has one of the most explosive top three as compared to other batting orders in the league. After Marsh and Markram, Nicholas Pooran has made the No.3 spot his own, with some tremendous knocks in that position. However, if the franchise finds itself in the need to get an Indian opener, Rahane might be on their list.
Mumbai’s Ranji captain has a unique side to his game. He can steer through something called as controlled aggression. This does help a team get through a difficult phase, but it also makes sure that the other batters have the liberty of playing their natural game. With Rahane at one end, players like Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh can freely play their natural game. Not to mention skipper Rishabh Pant, who can take the game away from the opposition in a matter of minutes.
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The Gujarat Titans have been one of the most consistent franchises in the tournament. Since their inception, they have always found a way to qualify for the playoffs. Most importantly, the Titans have even lifted the trophy once under Hardik Pandya. Skipper Shubman Gill looks set for a long haul with the team. He will be keen to look for options to better his combination for the next season. For the Titans, the opening combination doesn’t need to be played with at all. Gill and Sai Sudharsan have been doing excellent at the top, and would not want to played with.
However, the No.3 spot can be up for grabs if the franchise decides to look for an Indian option. Jos Buttler has been performing extremely well, but whether the franchise will retain him remains to be a doubt. If the management decides to go in with a new No.3, Rahane might be one of the first names. The former vice-captain can continue striking the ball aggressively, but can also make sure that the team recovers after a quick collapse. Ajinkya Rahane can be a vital cog in the processes of any franchise which is on the lookout for a top-order player.
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