Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had an average performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The team started the season with a defeat and ended with a defeat too. However, the team kept its playoff hopes alive with consistent performances in the middle tournament, but ultimately Rajasthan Royals (RR)’s victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) put an end to the hopes of both Kolkata and Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Captain Ajinkya Rahane’s pain also came to the fore after being out of the playoff race. He admitted that it is very disappointing for the team not to make it to the last four. Rahane said that the players fought till the end and this makes him feel proud of his team.

Kolkata’s beginning was full of struggle

Under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, Kolkata Knight Riders played a total of 14 matches in the league stage. Of these, the team won 6 matches, while had to face defeat in 7 matches.

One match could not be completed due to rain. For this reason, the team stood seventh in the points table with 13 points.

Kolkata’s performance in the initial phase of the season was very weak. The team had suffered five defeats in its first six matches, while one match was lost to rain. After this, the team made a strong comeback and registered six wins in the next seven matches and made the race for the playoffs exciting.

Rahane said – the team fought till the end

After the end of the season, Ajinkya Rahane said that personally his batting was good and he tried to take advantage of every opportunity.

He also said that the team did not give up and remained in the competition till the end.

According to Rahane, the players struggled even in difficult circumstances and this was the biggest positive thing about this team. However, he admitted that the pain of not making it to the playoffs would last for a long time. The captain said that now he will take rest for a few days and then take part in local cricket in Mumbai.

Performance of expensive players also became a concern

For Kolkata, many big players could not live up to the expectations this season.

The team’s most expensive foreign player Cameron Green struggled with fitness problems in the initial matches. He could not make a complete impact in bowling, while there was continuous struggle in batting also.

Apart from this, it took a lot of time for many players of the team to regain their rhythm, by the time the Kolkata team returned to form, the damage caused by the initial defeats had increased a lot.

Captain may change in the next season

Now the discussion has intensified in the cricket circles that Kolkata Knight Riders can enter with a new captain in the next IPL season.

After winning the title in the year 2024, the team has not been able to perform consistently as was expected from it. In such a situation, the franchise can consider major changes before the coming season.

It is noteworthy that under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, Kolkata Knight Riders made a great comeback in IPL 2026, but the bad start cost the team heavily. As captain, Rahane tried to manage the team, but the unstable performance of big players and lack of right combination remained the weakness of the team. Now the franchise will have to take a serious decision on captaincy and team combination before the next season. If changes are not made in time, KKR’s troubles may continue further. It is also true that now Kolkata is feeling the need of a new strategy and stable leadership for the future.