Ajinkya Rahane on cusp of historic milestone, to become first-ever Indian to unlock this massive feat in IPL 2025 opener

Ajinkya Rahane is set to resume his captaincy duties in the IPL, taking the helm of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the 18th edition of the tournament. This marks Rahane's return to captaining an IPL side since his tenure with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2019.

Ajinkya Rahane is poised to make IPL history on the opening day of the 2025 season. When Kolkata Knight Riders face Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rahane will clock a unique milestone, becoming the first Indian captain to have led three different IPL franchises.

Ajinkya Rahane's initial foray into IPL captaincy occurred in 2017 when he led the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) for a single match. He filled in for Steve Smith, who was absent for that particular game during the season.

Ajinkya Rahane's second stint as an IPL captain began in 2018 when he rejoined the Rajasthan Royals (RR). He was appointed captain following Steve Smith's suspension for the entire season.

Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) extended into the 2019 IPL season. However, he was removed from the leadership role mid-season, a decision made despite the franchise's awareness that Steve Smith, who was then appointed captain, would be departing the RR camp before the season's conclusion. Rahane did, however, resume captaincy duties towards the end of the season when Smith left to join the Australian team in preparation for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Over the subsequent five IPL seasons, Ajinkya Rahane transitioned between three different franchises: Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Chennai Super Kings. He then rejoined KKR during the IPL 2025 mega-auction, and is now poised to captain the three-time IPL champions.