Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane insisted that the idea of stepping aside never crossed his mind, even after a shaky start that threatened to derail the campaign. Speaking at the post-match news conference following the team’s final outing of the season, Rahane stressed that when results are going against you, leadership is about showing resolve rather than retreating. He pointed to KKR’s brutal beginning—losing five of their first six fixtures and sliding to the foot of the standings—before acknowledging the late surge that kept playoff hopes flickering. The franchise went on to win six of its last eight matches, only to fall short of qualification in the end.
Rahane said his mindset has always centred on attitude and character, drawing a clear line between pressure and performance. “For me, I’ve played cricket all my life with a positive attitude. Character has always mattered a lot,” he said. He added that backing away is not part of his approach: “I’m never one to back down. When the team is struggling, it’s important to show your character. I’m never the one to step down.”
The captain also addressed the emotional weight of consecutive defeats and how focus can drift once a team has dropped several matches. “Yes, there’s pressure, and it’s natural. But the pressure is on those who are privileged—because not everyone can handle it. For me, it was important to stay strong and not panic. It’s easy when you lose 5-6 matches for your attention to move towards the past and the future,” Rahane explained.
Rahane’s own tournament with the bat was far from his best. The veteran batter managed 335 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 135, and he also struggled to find momentum outside the Powerplay, with his scoring rate beyond that phase among the lowest in the competition. Still, he maintained that keeping a team steady mentally is what can ultimately turn a season around. “It’s important to stay in the moment. Things can turn around at any time. We’ve seen that across many matches and series,” he said. “It’s very important to maintain that attitude and character. Those thoughts (of stepping down) never came to me.” Rahane also referenced his own experience in Tests, where he famously led India to the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after being bowled out for 36 in a disastrous phase.
KKR’s troubles began even before the season truly got going, with injuries affecting key players. Several important members, including pacers Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, were sidelined. On top of the physical setbacks, the franchise was required to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman following instructions from the BCCI, linked to diplomatic tensions between the two countries. With their bowling resources badly stretched, Rahane said those circumstances pushed him to place greater faith in domestic Indian options.
“We lost a few players during the season and it’s challenging all the time, but I wasn’t thinking about that. I was confident about and wanted to give time to the Indian bowlers,” Rahane said. “I knew that if we backed them and gave them that time, they would do really well under pressure.”
Injuries eventually created openings for spin-bowling all-rounder Anukul Roy and pacer Kartik Tyagi, and both made strong use of their chances. Tyagi finished as one of KKR’s most effective performers, taking 18 wickets—making him the third-highest wicket-taker among Indian bowlers during the league stage. Roy, meanwhile, claimed nine wickets in 12 innings and also remained unbeaten in two successful run chases.
Rahane pointed to how the management had viewed Roy from the start of the competition. “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 said. He added that confidence built in domestic cricket can transfer to the IPL. “He had a fantastic Syed Mushtaq Ali season. I believe that whoever has a good season in the domestic league carries that confidence forward. Anukul Roy just did that.”
On Tyagi, Rahane highlighted the clarity the young pacer had shown during preparation. “Talking about Kartik Tyagi, he was clear. We played practice games—two, three practice matches. 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,” Rahane said.
Closing his comments, Rahane suggested the pair’s breakthroughs are only the beginning. “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,” he added. KKR, however, ended their campaign with a 40-run defeat—falling to Delhi Capitals on Sunday.
