What is the future of Ajinkya Rahane in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)? It is now one of the most surfaced questions across social media platforms as soon as the team was knocked out of the IPL 2026 season on Sunday night. KKR concluded their campaign with a defeat against the Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens.
Hours after the match, reports suggesting a doubtful future of Ajinkya Rahane with the Kolkata Knight Riders have started to circulate. According to a few media reports, the team management can sack the skipper soon after a review meeting with the top officials of the franchise.
Ambati Rayudu selects Ajinkya Rahane as a back-up batter
Amid the speculations over the KKR skipper’s future, former Team India batter Ambati Rayadu has made some shocking comments. During a discussion with ESPNCricinfo, the former cricketer stated that Rahane can be a good back-up batter for KKR in the IPL 2027 season, but it may be time for the franchise to appoint someone now for the leadership role.
According to Ambati Rayadu, Ajinkya Rahane can still add value to the squad with his experience and class. Rather than a regular player in the playing combination, the former cricketer wants to see Rahane on the bench, as a back-up option, so that the team can utilize him on crucial points of the tournament.
He can be a backup player: Rayudu
“I think, at best, he can be a backup player in the squad, also mentoring a few youngsters because he’s been with the setup for a while. He can be retained because he’s not on a very, very high price tag. And if he’s motivated enough, he can always add value whenever somebody’s not doing well,” Ambati Rayadu said.
“He can come in, step in, in those two or three games, or play an important game and score a match-winning knock. That’s the sort of role I see for him going forward,” he added.
Rahane’s captaincy in doubt after the IPL 2026 disaster
For the captaincy role, Rayadu suggests that the management appoint someone who can serve the team for a long time and can secure at least two more trophies in the next five years. For the former cricketer, now a cricket expert, Ajinkya Rahane is about to lose his leadership role in the team ahead of the next season.
“But, captain aside, you need at least someone who can play the next five, six, seven years for the franchisee, who can take up that mantle and say that, I’m going to win you at least a couple of tournaments in those five years. So, I don’t see Rahane being a captain next season, for sure,” Ambati Rayadu mentioned.
Ajinkya Rahane, 37, the opener of KKR, finished his IPL 2026 journey, scoring 335 runs in 14 innings with a batting average of 25.76 and a strike rate of 135.08. In those 14 innings, he claimed a couple of half-centuries only.
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