Former India cricketer and commentator Murali Kartik has thrown his weight behind Ajinkya Rahane, calling him the standout captain of IPL 2026. Kartik’s praise centres on Rahane’s ability to steer Kolkata Knight Riders through a season filled with setbacks, keeping the franchise within touching distance of the playoffs right up to the last day of the league stage. In Kartik’s view, the leadership shown by Rahane deserves far more recognition than the numbers alone might suggest.
In the end, KKR ended IPL 2026 in seventh place on the points table and missed out on a playoff berth. Their exit was confirmed after Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians, ending KKR’s hopes of qualifying. Even so, Kartik believes Rahane’s captaincy should still be judged through the lens of what the team had to overcome across the campaign.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Kartik highlighted the circumstances surrounding KKR’s run, pointing to injuries, player unavailability, and the criticism Rahane faced early in the tournament. “One of the reasons is that half of his group was already gone before he even won the first moment,” Kartik said. “The second thing is the kind of darts being thrown at him from the beginning of the season, which wasn’t his doing. There were many players who weren’t delivering.”
Kartik added that, given those conditions, Rahane’s achievement becomes even more impressive. “To lift them up from there and nearly take them to qualification with that kind of run, with that kind of squad, I’ll give it to him.” He also noted that while some captains get the luxury of stable surroundings, Rahane had to operate under constant pressure. “Others have settled people around them. They know what they are doing. But for an individual, everybody was throwing darts at him.”
Summing up his reasoning, Kartik said Rahane’s response to adversity is what separates him. “To come back from that and lift the side up, that’s why I’ll go with Rahane.”
Rahane’s second season as KKR captain unfolded under difficult circumstances from the outset. The franchise was hit by multiple problems even before it could find rhythm in the tournament. Fast bowler Harshit Rana missed the entire season after knee surgery, while Akash Deep was ruled out with a lumbar stress injury. Matheesha Pathirana also suffered a hamstring injury and was unavailable for most of the campaign. He did return for a single match, but after bowling just one over he was sidelined again due to injury.
KKR faced another blow when Mustafizur Rahman was not available ahead of the tournament. The wicket-taker was released after instructions from the BCCI to the franchise.
The early phase of the season reflected those struggles. KKR couldn’t win any of their first six matches, managing only one point from a rain-affected contest against Punjab Kings. At that point, their chances of reaching the playoffs looked close to over.
However, KKR then produced one of the most impressive recoveries of IPL 2026. The side won six of their last eight league games, forcing their way back into contention and keeping their playoff hopes alive until the final day of the league stage.
Throughout that turnaround, Rahane himself was also under close scrutiny. He started the competition well, striking 67 off 40 balls, but his batting output slowed as the tournament progressed. By the end of IPL 2026, Rahane had scored 335 runs in 14 matches, averaging 25.76 and striking at 135.08.
Even with those relatively modest batting returns, Kartik believes Rahane’s most significant impact came from his role as a leader. Managing an injury-hit squad, dealing with outside criticism, and overseeing a dramatic recovery after a poor start were key elements in Kartik’s decision to name the KKR captain as his captain of the season.
