Ajinkya Rahane Opens Up On KKR IPL 2026 Exit, Captaincy Pressure And Team Comeback

Ajinkya Rahane reflected on KKR’s difficult IPL 2026 season, praised the team’s comeback spirit, and backed youngsters Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy after their playoff exit.

The IPL 2026 season turned into a rollercoaster ride for the Kolkata Knight Riders after a disastrous start left them staring at an early exit. Despite entering the season as one of the biggest spenders at the IPL 2026 auction, injuries and squad setbacks heavily damaged KKR’s balance throughout the tournament.

One of the biggest blows came when the franchise had to move on from Mustafizur Rahman, while several injury concerns further weakened the squad. KKR went on to lose six consecutive completed matches, placing immense pressure on captain Ajinkya Rahane and the management.

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However, Rahane compared the situation to India’s memorable Test comeback in Australia, where he led the side after the infamous 36 all-out collapse.

“We as cricketers are where we are because of the fans. They will appreciate when we do well and also criticise us when we do badly. This is a part of the game. Every cricketer understands this. For me, I have played my whole cricket with the right attitude. Character has always been very important for me. I am never one that steps down. When the team is struggling, it is important to show your character.”

Rahane also revealed that KKR players avoided checking updates from the Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians clash during their final league-stage game against Delhi Capitals. The team only discovered they had been eliminated after Delhi posted their total at Eden Gardens.

Rahane Praises Kartik Tyagi And Anukul Roy After Breakthrough Season

Despite the disappointing campaign, Rahane highlighted young Indian players Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy as two major positives for KKR this season.

Tyagi finished IPL 2026 with 18 wickets and emerged as one of the best Indian pacers in the league stage. Meanwhile, Anukul Roy impressed with both ball and bat during his first extended run in the playing XI.

“When we sat down [at the start of the season], I thought, this is a great time for Anukul to come in and play each and every game. He had a fantastic Syed Mushtaq Ali season. I believe that whoever has a good season in the domestic league, you carry that confidence forward. Anukul Roy just did that.”

Rahane also praised Tyagi’s mindset despite the young pacer occasionally leaking runs.

“Talking about Kartik Tyagi, he was clear. We played practice games – two, three practice matches – [and] practice sessions as well. He was really clear about his thought process. You will go for runs as a bowler but as long as you’re clear what you want to do for your team, that’s what matters. For these two guys, this is just the beginning. I’m sure they have the potential to do really well in the future and go and play at the highest level as well.”

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Ajinkya Rahane Responds To Captaincy Criticism After KKR Exit

As criticism around his captaincy intensified during KKR’s losing streak, Rahane made it clear that stepping down was never part of his thinking.

“Pressure does come, yes, it is very natural. Pressure comes to the privileged. When you lose five-six matches, your mind goes to the past and future, but it is important to stay in that moment. Things can turn around anytime.”

Rahane further explained how he motivated the dressing room during the toughest phase of the season.

“I told the players after losing six games that it just takes one game to change things around; the most important thing for the team is to believe and keep doing what we are doing. We had to make some changes, but that’s fine. We accepted that sometimes we played some bad cricket. The long break before the Rajasthan Royals game [the first one KKR won this season] helped.”

Although KKR eventually finished seventh on the points table after losing to Delhi Capitals by 40 runs, Rahane remained proud of the team’s fighting spirit.

“Players hardly get to experience this kind of comeback, the kind of comeback we did – came so far – from those seven games onwards. Hats off to each and every one. There’s lots to learn. Yes, you always feel bad when you don’t qualify for the playoffs, and every team wants to be in the top four. But for me, as a leader of the team, I’m really proud of the boys, how they handled themselves.”