Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Ajinkya Rahane has found himself at the centre of attention since IPL 2026 began. The 37-year-old batter has drawn sharp criticism for his batting approach and for the way the side has been led. With KKR yet to claim a first win of the campaign, their tally has come only via a rain-affected game against Punjab Kings.
Quick facts
- Rahane has faced criticism for his strike rate and captaincy in IPL 2026.
- KKR are winless so far; their only point came from a rain-washed match vs Punjab Kings.
- After a loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahane hit back at the media, accusing questioning voices of having an “agenda” against him.
- Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull defended Rahane and cited strike-rate comparisons with Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
- Doull linked the heightened scrutiny to KKR’s IPL 2025 finish (eighth) and their poor start in IPL 2026.
Rahane’s response gathered momentum after KKR suffered a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad. When asked about his strike rate, he rejected the line of questioning and suggested it formed part of a wider push against him. He went on to argue that people making the claims were either not properly watching the games or were motivated by something other than cricketing reasons.
Speaking to the media, Rahane said he believes his strike rate has been among the best since 2023. He also dismissed the criticism as unfair, adding that those criticising him do not appreciate the way he plays and do not want to see him in action. The comments quickly turned into a talking point across fan circles.
That debate was amplified when former New Zealand international Simon Doull stepped in to back Rahane. Doull highlighted what he described as a more favourable recent record, pointing out that Rahane’s strike rate across the last few seasons is better than Mumbai Indians veteran Rohit Sharma’s and matches that of Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Ishan Kishan.
Doull’s argument centred on recent output rather than short-term noise. He claimed Rahane’s numbers over the past four years have not been as poor as suggested, citing an average of 30 and a strike rate of 148 across roughly 30-plus matches. He said the talk of dropping Rahane doesn’t align with the actual trend in his batting returns.
In the same discussion, Doull also noted that Rahane’s recent record is comparable to Ishan Kishan’s over the same stretch. He questioned why there isn’t similar talk about benching players like Kishan, then tied Rahane’s frustration to the added pressure that comes with holding the captaincy role.
Why scrutiny has intensified
KKR’s recent history has added context to the public questioning. After winning the IPL title in 2024, they struggled in IPL 2025 and ended up finishing eighth. Doull pointed to that finish, along with an unstable start to IPL 2026, as the key reasons the scrutiny around Rahane has grown louder.
Doull said the criticism began after the team’s eighth-place result last year and continued as KKR stumbled early in the new season. He described the situation as a blend of frustration and team-level shortcomings, suggesting Rahane’s captaincy pressure is compounded by the side not having the right “tools” at their disposal.
Closing his remarks, Doull stressed that it is not just about Rahane alone. He argued that KKR have not been performing well as a group and that the wider issues within the team mean the blame cannot rest solely on the skipper.
