table of contents
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is set to replace Ajinkya Rahane as their captain ahead of the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2027. The franchise’s interest in securing the services of Hardik Pandya is considered a clear indication of a possible change in the leadership role.
For the last few days, speculations have been rife that KKR and some other franchises are actively considering bringing in Hardik Pandya from Mumbai Indians.
KKR loses its rhythm after its winning season in 2024
Since the departure of Shreyas Iyer after the 2024 season, Kolkata Knight Riders have lost significant momentum in the last two seasons. The team management appointed Ajinkya Rahane, who is a respected leader in domestic cricket and has great batting statistics, as Iyer’s replacement, ahead of the 2025 season.
They last won the league in 2024 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and the then head coach Gautam Gambhir. After this, the team missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons.
KKR secured only seventh place in IPL 2026
Following the conclusion of the IPL 2026 campaign, KKR finished seventh in the 10-team league with 6 wins and 7 losses, with one match out of 14 being washed out. After suffering consecutive defeats in the early stages of the tournament, the team showed promising bounce back and achieved six wins. The comeback he made in the middle of the season was promising, but it may not be enough to save Ajinkya Rahane from losing the captaincy strap.
If the talks between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians prove fruitful, then Hardik Pandya is being considered a serious contender to become Ajinkya Rahane’s successor. However, as of now, other franchises like Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings are also active in the race to sign Pandya.
In a latest report, Cricblogger has confirmed Knight Riders’ intention to appoint Hardik Pandya as their next captain in place of Ajinkya Rahane.
“There are enough reasons to look beyond Rahane. The captaincy options at KKR are so limited that promoters often use cut-outs of Shah Rukh Khan for promotional activities,” a source close to the development told the website.
Sources told Cricblogger, “Ajinkya Rahane may lose the Kolkata Knight Riders captaincy from next season, with the franchise looking for a new leader. KKR’s interest in buying all-rounder Hardik Pandya is a strong indication that the franchise is planning to replace Rahane with another captaincy candidate,” the report also mentioned.
Ajinkya Rahane was the leading run scorer for Kolkata Knight Riders
Along with the team’s performance, Ajinkya Rahane’s batting was also criticized. While some openers played explosive innings last season, the 38-year-old opener’s performance was far from modern T20 cricket standards as he lacked the big shots.
The right-handed batsman finished as the leading run-scorer for the team in the last IPL season with 390 runs in 13 matches.
