Kolkata Knight Riders have retained Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for IPL 2026, but the decision has been shadowed by a season that has gone badly wrong. KKR lost their first five games, spent the campaign in the bottom half of the points table and are still alive only on the edge of the playoffs race.
The 37-year-old Rahane has come under massive scrutiny as the losses piled up. He was asked to take on the crucial role of opener in IPL 2026, but the returns have not matched the responsibility. In 12 games, he scored 251 runs at an average of 22.82, with one half-century and a strike rate of 130. He was dismissed cheaply in many matches, a pattern that has left KKR exposed at the top of the order.
The numbers matter because KKR are not speaking about a complete collapse. They won the IPL title in 2024 and went into this season with Rahane still trusted to lead them. Instead, the team have struggled under his captaincy in IPL 2026, and the gap between expectation and performance has only widened as the season has moved on.
What has hurt KKR most is not just the losing run but the way their captaincy has played out on the field. Rahane has failed to implement quick decisions, according to the source, and those missed calls have cost KKR a few games. For a side trying to stay in touch with the top four, small errors have carried a heavy price.
That is why Rahane’s future now looks increasingly uncertain. There are chances he could lose the captaincy after IPL 2026, with the franchise expected to think carefully about whether it needs a younger leader for the next few seasons. KKR are still technically in the hunt, but their chances of making the top four are very slim, and the pressure on Rahane will only rise if the campaign ends short of expectations.
For a team that lifted the trophy in 2024, the next decision may define the next cycle. If KKR decide that IPL 2026 has shown the limits of the current setup, Rahane could find himself leading not into another season, but out of the job.
