Ajinkya Rahane to continue as KKR captain for IPL 2026: Reports
Reports suggest that Ajinkya Rahane is set to continue as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2026 despite speculation over a leadership change.
Last Updated: 02.22 PM, Mar 12, 2026
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is all set to be back with the 19th edition starting on March 28. The IPL committee announced the dates for the tournament and also released the schedule but for the first 20 days due to elections. Hence, the teams are all in readiness for the tournament to start. Most of the teams have announced their jerseys and captains for the season.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will continue with Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for this season. The team didn't perform well and finished in the eighth position last season. Hence, they'll look to change the results in 2026. Last year, Rahane amassed 390 runs in 12 innings, at an average of 35.45. This speaks volumes about the player's performance.
KKR formed a completely new team this season as they released players like Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali and Rahmanullah Gurbaz and entered the auction with a purse value of INR 63 crores. They bought Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore in the auction which was one of the biggest buys.
Also read: ‘Most pressure on...’: Faf du Plessis’ bold take on star India cricketer ahead of IPL 2026
KKR's IPL 2026 schedule
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will play their first match on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, against the Mumbai Indians (MI). After that, they will play their rest of their matches at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The IPL committee have announced the schedule but only for the first 20 matches. Hence, KKR will only play four games in the first half.
| Match No. | Teams | Date & Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 | MI vs KKR | March 29, 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai |
| No. 6 | KKR vs SRH | April 2, 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata |
| No. 12 | KKR vs PBKS | April 6, 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata |
| No. 15 | KKR vs LSG | April 9, 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata |