IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane Set to Become the First Indian Captain to Achieve This Milestone

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Captain Ajinkya Rahane is set to become the first Indian captain to lead three different teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He will join the ranks of Steve Smith, Mahela Jayawardena, and Kumar Sangakkara, making him the fourth player overall to achieve this record in the tournament's history.

Rahane was signed by KKR for ₹1.50 crore this season. There were speculations that he would be a strong candidate for the captaincy, and the KKR management ultimately decided to trust his potential by appointing him as captain for the upcoming season.

Rahane’s capabilities as a skipper are well established, having previously led various franchises, including Rising Pune Supergiants (RPSG) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). His record as a captain began in 2017 when he led RPSG for one match as a stand-in captain for Steve Smith, who was unavailable at the time. The following season, he took on the captaincy role for Rajasthan Royals but was replaced by Smith after one season.

Captains to lead 3 franchises in the Indian Premier League History

Ajinkya Rahane will start his third captaincy stint against RCB in the first match of the upcoming season, set to take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.