- By Gurmeet Batra
- Sun, 15 Mar 2026 01:51 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IPL 2026: Out-of-favour India batter Ajinkya Rahane is poised to retain the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, with the franchise opting to stick with the experienced batter despite his recent struggles.
According to a report in Mumbai Mirror on Sunday, the three-time winners made the judgment, noting his leadership pedigree as a key factor in the decision.
“Rahane is the best choice for captaincy considering his vast experience and the mix of players at KKR. The franchise has decided that he will continue as captain this season as well," a source was quoted as saying by the publication.
KKR's 2025 campaign under Rahane's stewardship produced just five wins from 13 matches, a tally that fell short of expectations.
KKR has strengthened its top order with the purchases of Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, and Cameron Green, who were all picked at the IPL 2026 auction.
Harshit Rana Ruled Out Of IPL 2026
Pacer Harshit Rana, KKR's retained fast bowler, will miss IPL 2026 due to an injury sustained during India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa.
Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 Schedule
KKR will play 14 league matches, split between home and away fixtures, in the IPL 2026 season.
Kolkata will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign with a high-stakes encounter against the Mumbai Indians at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on March 29, followed by their first home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens on April 2.
KKR Full Squad: Ajinkya Rahane(C), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Matheesha Pathirana, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Umran Malik.