IPL 2026 – KKR vs DC – Ajinkya Rahane looks back at the season

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were at their lowest some matches into IPL 2026. They had been the biggest spenders at the auction in late 2025, but injuries – and having to let go of Mustafizur Rahman – had ravaged their squad since. They lost six straight completed games.

But in Ajinkya Rahane, they had the right leader. He had done it in Australia, lifting a Test side from the wreckage of 36 all out while barely finding enough fit players to hold the XI together, to complete a miraculous turnaround. The similarities between that and this were hard to ignore, Rahane said, and the idea was to “stay together” as a team.

That was also the plan on the last day of the league stage as KKR entered their match against Delhi Capitals (DC) without knowing what was transpiring over at the Wankhede Stadium where Rajasthan Royals (RR) were playing Mumbai Indians (MI). Rahane said the team had decided they wouldn’t take real-time updates; the players only learnt of RR’s win – and therefore KKR’s immediate elimination – after DC’s innings was over and KKR were set 2024 to win. KKR were eventually bowled out for 163, finishing seventh on the points table.

Rahane admitted the season was always going to be difficult given the setbacks KKR carried into it. He took the conversation back to the season’s first press conference, when he had said it was a season of opportunities. The biggest positives for KKR, from which they can build on next season, Rahane said, were two players who grabbed their chances: Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy.

Tyagi finished the season with 18 wickets, the third-highest among all Indian bowlers in the league stage. Roy took nine wickets in 12 innings in his first full season and was also unbeaten in two successful chases.

“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,” Rahane said. “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.

“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.”

Rahane was asked whether he thought of stepping down for a reset while the season was still alive. Like Dinesh Karthik, Ricky Ponting and Gautam Gambhir, as just a few examples, have done in the past.

“As cricketers, we are what we are because of our fans,” Rahane said. “They appreciate when we do well and criticise when we don’t. This is part of the game and all cricketers understand 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.

“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. 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.”

As for IPL 2027, Rahane said that it was still too early to think about it. He instead wanted to sign the season off by praising his team’s fight in a bittersweet campaign.

“Players hardly get to experience this kind of comeback, the kind of comeback we did – came so far – from those seven games onwards,” Rahane said. “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.”

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