Over the years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed captains stepping amid a poor season. The famous examples are Ricky Ponting (Mumbai Indians in 2013), Gautam Gambhir (Delhi Daredevils in 2018) and Dinesh Karthik (Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020). But, after six winless games, Ajinkya Rahane chose against it. He backed the team to turn things around. As KKR were knocked out of playoffs race on May 24, Rahane said the most important thing is to keep believing and show character as he is not the one who gives up.
"As cricketers, we are what we are because of our fans. They appreciate when we do well and criticise when we don't. This is part of the game and all cricketers understand this. For me, I have played my whole cricket with the right attitude. Character has always been very important for me. I am never one that steps down. When the team is struggling, it is important to show your character," Rahane said in the press conference after a 40-run loss to Delhi Capitals (DC) at home.
"Pressure does come, yes, it is very natural. Pressure comes to the privileged. When you lose five-six matches, your mind goes to the past and future, but it is important to stay in that moment. Things can turn around anytime. I told the players after losing six games that it just takes one game to change things around; the most important thing for the team is to believe and keep doing what we are doing.
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"We had to make some changes, but that's fine. We accepted that sometimes we played some bad cricket. The long break before the Rajasthan Royals game [the first one KKR won this season] helped."
Rahane’s struggles with bat
Rahane-led KKR accumulated 13 points and finished seventh on the points table, just below DC. The skipper started the season with a half-century and ended with one in a losing cause. From 14 innings, he scored 335 runs at an average of 25.76 and strike rate of 135.08. Between their first and last game of the season, he did not cross the fifty-run mark once. Also, his strike rate came under the scanner.
It is yet to be seen whether Rahane retains his captaincy for IPL 2027. KKR may look for a leadership after finishing eighth and seventh in 2025 and 2026 editions.