New Delhi: Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane on Saturday set a new record in the Indian Premier League after he was named as the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) side in the IPL 2025 opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens.
Rahane became the first Indian player to lead three different IPL teams as the 18th edition of the tournament got underway in Kolkata. The 36-year-old player has previously led Rajasthan Royals and now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in the tournament.
The Mumbai-based cricketer’s first assignment with captaincy was seen in IPL 2017 when he was part of the Rising Pune Supergiant squad. He stepped up in their match against Delhi Daredevils in Pune when regular skipper Steve Smith was unavailable to play the match because of his illness. The Pune outfit lost by 97 runs against Zaheer Khan’s men.
In the aftermath of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town, Smith was suspended from playing in the IPL for one season. Smith was named as the captain of the Rajasthan franchise with the team was set to make its return to the tournament following a two-year suspension in the light of spot-fixing in 2013. Smith’s ban prompted the franchise owners to name Rahane as their captain for the complete 2018 season. The team reached playoffs under Rahane’s leadership.
In the 2019 IPL season, Smith replaced Rahane as the RR captain in the middle of the season because of the team failing to perform up to its expectations.
KKR is the third team Rahane has captained in the IPL. He was handed the responsibility after Shreyas Iyer moved to Punjab Kings in a deal of IPL 2025 mega auction.
Only three players in the past have led three IPL teams – Sri Lankan duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara and Steve Smith.
Sangakkara – Kings XI Punjab (2010), Deccan Chargers (2011-2012), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013)
Jayawardene – Kings XI Punjab (2010), Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011), Delhi Daredevils (2012-13)
Smith – Pune Warriors (2012), Rajasthan Royals (2014-2020), Rising Pune Supergiant (2017)
Ajinkya Rahane created history in the IPL 2025 opener by becoming the first Indian captain to achieve an elusive record. Only three other players have achieved the feat in the past. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
