Ajinkya Rahane remains firm as captain after leaving Kolkata: I will never back down

Ajinkya Rahane defended his captaincy despite Kolkata Knight Riders being knocked out of the tournament. KKR stayed alive till the last day before being eliminated by Rajasthan’s win over Mumbai at the Wankhede.

Ajinkya Rahane failed to take KKR to the playoffs in his first two seasons as captain. Courtesy: Reuters

Ajinkya Rahane remained firm about his captaincy after Kolkata Knight Riders crashed out of IPL 2026. KKR’s playoff hopes officially ended on Sunday after Rajasthan Royals defeated Mumbai Indians in their last league game. The Knight Riders then lost by 40 runs against the Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens in an inconsequential match.

Rahane faced a tough journey after replacing Shreyas Iyer as KKR captain. In both the 2025 and 2026 seasons under his leadership, Kolkata failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Despite the disappointing campaign, Rahane stressed that character and attitude matter most during the tough stages, insisting that he never backs down when the team is struggling and that strong leadership becomes even more important under pressure.

“For me, I have played cricket with a good attitude all my life. Character has always been very important to me. I am never one to back down. When the team is down, when the team is struggling, it is very important to show your character at that moment. I am never the one who goes down. When the team is struggling, it is important to show your character,” Rahane said at the conference.

“NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE THE PRESSURE”

Rahane also endured a disappointing campaign with the bat, scoring just 335 runs from 14 matches at an average of 25.76, including two half-centuries. Despite KKR’s struggles, Rahane admitted that pressure is a natural part of cricket and stressed the importance of staying calm and avoiding panic during difficult phases.

“Yes, there is pressure. It’s very natural, but the pressure is on those who are privileged. Not everyone can handle the pressure. It was important for me to stay strong and not panic. It’s very easy when you lose 5-6 matches, your focus shifts to the past and the future,” added Rahane.

Kolkata Knight Riders have endured a terrible start to their campaign, failing to win in their first six matches. However, they gradually fought their way back into contention and stayed alive in the playoffs until the last day of the league stage. In the end, KKR finished seventh in the table with 13 points and a net rate of -0.147 after managing six wins from 14 matches.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

25 May 2026 14:35 IST

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