3 reasons why KKR should sack Ajinkya Rahane ahead of IPL 2027
KKR have struggled in IPL 2026 under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy.
Despite a dismal show last season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. However, the move turned out to be a horrible one as KKR have struggled under his captaincy.
The IPL 2024 champions lost their first five games and remained in the bottom half of the points table throughout the tournament. Although KKR are still active in the playoffs race, they have very slim chances to make it to the top four.
Following KKR’s poor show in IPL 2026, Ajinkya Rahane has come under massive scanner, and there are chances that he might lose his captaincy after the tournament. Let’s discuss three reasons why KKR should remove Ajinkya Rahane as captain ahead of IPL 2027.
Why should KKR drop Ajinkya Rahane as captain ahead of next season
3. Poor batting (Failing to lead from front)
Rahane has struggled with his batting in IPL 2026. He has taken the crucial role of an opener but consistently failed to give a good start to the team.
He has scored 251 runs in 12 games at an average of 22.82 with just one half-century. The right-handed batsman also lost his wicket for cheaply in many games. Hence, Rahane has failed to lead the batting from the front.
2. Age factor
Rahane has turned 37 years old and is in the twilight of his IPL career. KKR should aim for a long-term vision with the captaincy and go ahead with a younger captain, who can lead the side for the next few seasons. Finding a younger leader will be more beneficial for the three-time champions.
1. Not meeting demands of modern T20 cricket
As an opener as well as captain, Ajinkya Rahane lacks the skills needed for T20 cricket. An opening batsman needs to score at a high strike rate and provide blistering starts in the Powerplay. However, the KKR skipper has struggled to do it in IPL 2026 and owns a poor strike rate of 130.
He has also failed to implement quick decisions on the field, which has cost KKR a few games. Hence, Rahane lacks the captaincy skills needed in the shortest format and the Knight Riders should opt for a better option next season.
Who is captaining KKR in IPL 2026?
Ajinkya Rahane is the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders.
How many half-centuries has Rahane hit in IPL 2026?
He has hit one half-century in the tournament.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.