Ajinkya Rahane has opened up on his future as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after the team failed to make it to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Ever since he took over the reins from Shreyas Iyer following the team’s title win in 2024, the three-time champions have finished on 8th and 7th respectively on the points table in 2025 and 2026. However, Rahane seems to be unbothered by the burden of captaincy and has hinted that he has never felt the pressure of being in a leadership role.
Is Rahane willing to let go of KKR captaincy?
Speaking at the post-match press conference after KKR’s loss to DC, Rahane said that it had never occurred to him that he will have to step down as captain or drop himself from the playing XI, adding that it was very important to show character when the team was having a downtime. The veteran claimed that while it was normal for a captain to be under pressure when the team wasn’t doing well, it did not affect him.
“I’m never one to back down, those thoughts never came to me. When the team is down, when the team is struggling, it’s very important to show your character at that time. Yes, there’s pressure. It’s very natural but the pressure is on those who are privileged. Not everyone can handle the pressure. For me, it was important to stay strong and not panic,” Rahane said.
Rahane was bought for Rs 1.25 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction and replaced Iyer as the captain, as the latter was released after leading the team to their third title in 2024. He led KKR to 5 wins from 14 games in 2025, and to 6 wins from 14 matches in 2026. KKR failed to make it to the IPL 2026 playoffs despite recovering quite well in the second half of the season.
However, as a batter, Rahane’s form has been criticised, and it is something that he has defended as well, claiming that others might be ‘jealous’. In IPL 2025, he scored 390 runs from 13 matches, at an average of 35.45 and a strike rate of 147.72. His form further dipped in IPL 2026, where he managed to amass just 335 runs at an average of 25.76 and a strike rate of 135.08. The lack of intent required from a modern-day T20 batter who is opening the innings for the side has been the main point of criticism in Rahane’s approach this season.
After failing to lead KKR to two consecutive playoffs, Rahane might be at risk of losing the leadership role. After all, the team has Rinku Singh as an alternative, who served as Ajinkya’s deputy in this season.
Ajinkya Rahane drops hint on future as KKR captain after IPL 2026, plays ‘pressure’ card Inside Sport India.
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