Ajinkya Rahane Likely to Continue as KKR Captain for IPL 2026. Senior Mumbai batter Ajinkya Rahane is likely to continue as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in Indian Premier League 2026. The new IPL season is scheduled to begin on March 28. Rahane was appointed captain ahead of the IPL 2025 season. He replaced Shreyas Iyer, who left the franchise before the mega auction. Iyer later joined Punjab Kings after leaving the Kolkata franchise.
KKR management believes Rahane is the best option to lead the squad. The decision considers his vast experience and calm leadership style. The team also has a balanced mix of young and senior players. KKR finished eighth in IPL 2025 under Rahane’s leadership. They collected 12 points from 14 matches in the season. Despite the result, the franchise remains confident in his captaincy.
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Rahane also performed well with the bat last season. He scored 390 runs in 13 matches during IPL 2025. His average was 35.45 with a strike rate of 147.72. The experienced batter also hit three half-centuries during the campaign. Earlier this year, Rahane informed the Mumbai Cricket Association about a personal break. He decided to skip the remainder of the domestic red-ball season.
KKR Back Rahane–Nayar Partnership
However, Rahane was in excellent form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 391 runs in 10 matches in the tournament. His average was 48.87 with a strike rate of 161.57. Rahane also smashed three half-centuries in the competition. KKR will also depend on the partnership between Rahane and coach Abhishek Nayar. Nayar was recently promoted as the head coach of the franchise. He earlier served as KKR’s assistant coach for several seasons.
Former West Indies star Andre Russell has been named the team’s power coach. The franchise hopes the new support staff will improve team performances. KKR made several changes during the recent IPL mini-auction. They released players including Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje. Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were also released.
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The franchise signed Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore. Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana was also bought for ₹18 crore. Recently, KKR added Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani to the squad. He replaced Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman in the team. Meanwhile, KKR suffered a major injury setback before the season. Indian pacer Harshit Rana has been ruled out of IPL 2026. He injured his knee during a warm-up match earlier this year. KKR will hope Rahane’s experience helps the team bounce back strongly. The three-time champions will aim for a better campaign in IPL 2026.