Kamal Ghorui
With Kolkata Knight Riders enduring a tough start to IPL 2026, Ajinkya Rahane has found himself under increasing scrutiny following defeats to Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Rahane began the season on a positive note with a fluent 67 off 40 balls against Mumbai Indians, but his effort came in a losing cause as KKR failed to defend a strong total. In the next game, which also marked his 200th IPL appearance, he struggled for rhythm during a chase, managing just 8 off 10 balls against SRH. The criticism around his captaincy has also been fuelled by off-field moments, including his remark on Cameron Green not bowling, where he said the question should be directed to Cricket Australia. Rahane later pushed back at critics, defending his intent and pointing to his improved strike rate in recent seasons. Amid the noise, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stepped in to back Rahane, offering a strong endorsement of his leadership. “Honestly, I was reading a lot about Ajinkya Rahane, but he is a very good person, a very good human being. I have played under his captaincy and I am telling you, no bowler will get a more supportive captain. He is very supportive and a very calm captain. If he cannot get the best out of a bowler, then I don’t know who can.” While defending Rahane, Ashwin made it clear that KKR’s struggles are not solely down to captaincy. Instead, he pointed to tactical limitations, particularly in the bowling department. “He can maybe do one thing — use Sunil Narine in the powerplay and give Varun Chakravarthy a break, then bring him after the powerplay. If he does well, then confidence will come back. But that’s all he can do. What else can he do? He cannot go and bowl himself.” Ashwin also highlighted the complications around match-ups, especially against left-handers, suggesting that avoiding certain bowlers could create further imbalance. “He can also maybe avoid giving him the ball against left-handers. But if you avoid him against left-handers, then who will bowl? Sunil Narine will bowl from one end, but who will bowl from the other? So there are a lot of problems in KKR.” He added that if Cameron Green starts contributing with the ball, it could ease some of the burden on the attack. With two defeats in their opening matches, KKR are already under pressure early in the season. Ashwin’s comments underline that while Rahane remains under the spotlight, the issues within the side run deeper than just leadership concerns.
