Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made massive changes to their leadership and squad in preparation for the IPL 2025 season. Recently, Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan interacted with the team, motivating and saying hello to some of the new additions to the team like the newly appointed captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Interaction with the Team
Shah Rukh Khan continued to prove his commitment, visiting the KKR dressing room before the IPL 2025 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). During the introduction, he spoke to the players and stressed the significance of health and happiness. He also wished everyone good luck. The main thing, he told that to just enjoy the game!
Leadership Changes
- New Captain: For the 2025 season, seasoned Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed as KKR’s captain. Rahane, 36, does have some experience as an India captain having led them to a memorable Test series victory in Australia during the 2020-21 season.
- Vice-Captain: All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has been named as the vice-captain. Iyer has been a key element for KKR and has been hailed for his leadership attributes.
KKR Squad for IPL 2025
The team has assembled a blend of the veteran and the upcoming. The new and latest KKR squad or squad is as follows:
| Player Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane (C) | Batsman |
| Venkatesh Iyer (VC) | All-rounder |
| Rinku Singh | Batsman |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Bowler |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder |
| Harshit Rane | Bowler |
| Ramandeep Singh | All-rounder |
| Quinton de Kock | Wicketkeeper-Batsman |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper-Batsman |
| Anrich Nortje | Bowler |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Batsman |
| Vaibhav Arora | Bowler |
| Mayank Markande | Bowler |
| Rovman Powell | All-rounder |
| Manish Pandey | Batsman |
| Spencer Johnson | Bowler |
| Luvnith Sisodia | Wicketkeeper-Batsman |
| Anukul Roy | All-rounder |
| Moeen Ali | All-rounder |
| Umran Malik | Bowler |
Upcoming Match
The inaugural game begins on March 22, 2025, when KKR faces RCB at Eden Gardens.
Final Thoughts
Ajinkya Rahane’s experienced captaincy together with Shah Rukh Khan’s involvement. KKR’s strategic leadership positions the team in a strong position for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. KKR demonstrates its dedication to excellence through new talent acquisitions, core value maintenance, and fan relationship development as part of its amazing championship run.
