With Rahane as captain, KKR will have to make some changes to their playing XI for the upcoming season.
The defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, have named Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. This was a surprise for fans since many expected Venkatesh Iyer to get the role.
Rahane’s performance as Mumbai’s captain in domestic cricket during the 2024-25 season helped him get the job. He is also among the senior players of KKR and therefore, he is a suitable option to captain the team.
However, with Rahane as captain, KKR will have to make some changes to their playing XI for the upcoming season. They might also need to adjust their lineup to fit him as a batter.
Let’s look at three playing XI compromises KKR will have to make after appointing Ajinkya Rahane as captain for IPL 2025.
One of the changes KKR might have to make is leaving Angkrish Raghuvanshi on the bench to accommodate Rahane in the playing XI. If Rahane had not been appointed as KKR’s captain, Angkrish could have had a chance to be part of the playing XI.
The 20-year-old impressed in his debut season last year, scoring 163 runs with the opportunities he got. However, his batting position was not fixed as he played both in the top order and the middle order.
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Ajinkya Rahane’s best position is as an opener, as he has scored most of his career runs at the top of the order. To accommodate him, Quinton de Kock might have to bat at No.3, with Sunil Narine opening alongside Rahane. But this might be a gamble that backfires, considering De Kock recently found it difficult to bat at No.3 in the SA20, managing only 159 runs from 10 games.
If KKR wants to open with Rahane and De Kock, then Sunil Narine might be pushed down the order. This might not be the best for KKR, as they would miss out on Narine’s explosive opening bat at the top, which has been pivotal for the team in the earlier seasons. Thus, KKR will find themselves in a pickle while adjusting their top order.
Since Rahane is KKR’s captain, he will have to play every match. If he was not the skipper, KKR could have used him as an impact player based on the match situation, just as CSK did in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
This would have given KKR more flexibility to bring in a bowler or a power-hitter when needed. However, with Rahane being a permanent member of the playing XI, KKR loses the option of using him strategically as an impact player.
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