Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of the team, ending many speculations that stated that they would look beyond the veteran opening batter. Rahane was appointed captain of the franchise in 2025, with KKR finishing eighth on the points table. There were speculations that KKR could look beyond Rahane as the captain of the team after the team’s disappointing performance in the previous season.
Rahane has a pretty poor record when it comes to captaincy in the Indian Premier League. The 37-year-old has captained for 38 games in the tournament, but has managed only 14 victories so far. No one has captained more games than Rahane, with a win/loss ratio worse than his of 0.6
WATCH: KKR Announces Rahane as Captain For IPL 2026
The (C)heckmate you’ve been waiting for 🤩💜 pic.twitter.com/LlXTSfBaOi
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 17, 2026
It was a chess-cricket crossover-style video, as the three-time champions announced Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of the franchise. KKR captioned the post, “The (C)heckmate you’ve been waiting for.”
KKR performance in IPL 2025
Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Ajinkya Rahane, finished eighth in the IPL 2025 season. They made 12 points from five wins and two games ending in no results. He has captained the Rajasthan Royals and the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants in the past. However, his captaincy record in the IPL does not have much to write about.
In 38 games as a captain in the grand league, Rahane has only managed to win 14 games for his team. As the captain, he has been on the losing side 23 times in the Indian Premier League.
Ajinkya Rahane in IPL 2025
With the bat in hand, Ajinkya Rahane was one of the lone warriors for Kolkata Knight Riders. He scored 390 runs in 13 innings in the season, striking close to 150, while averaging 35.45. He made three half-centuries in the season. However, given that the game has moved past players like Rahane, he might need to reinvent himself. The 37-year-old shares a great bond with the newly appointed head coach, Abhishek Nayar. Nayar, in the past, has been praised by multiple Indian batters to have helped them in making huge strides in their game. Rahane might be making a few tweaks in his game as he looks to take on the challenge of leading the Knight Riders once again in IPL 2026.
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