Explained: Why Did Ajinkya Rahane Walk Off Mid-Match During MI vs KKR Clash?

Ajinkya Rahane walks off the field [Source: JioStar]

Kolkata Knight Riders have been at their absolute best with the bat on the eve of the MI vs KKR IPL 2026 clash on March 29. However, a sudden disruption in play had Ajinkya Rahane walk out of the field, handing the team over to Rohit Sharma’s absolute destruction.

The Mumbai Indians had been beaten brutally by KKR in the first innings. With a total of 220 on board to chase, MI sent in Rohit and Ryan Rickelton as Ajinkya Rahane’s men struggled to contain them inside the powerplays before the skipper himself hobbled off the field.

Rahane Plays Captain’s Knock Before Walking Off

Ajinkya Rahane played one of the best knocks of his life for Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede. Coming in to open, Rahane slammed a 40-ball 67 while partnering with Finn Allen, Cameron Green, and Ankrish Raghuvanshi before getting dismissed in the 14th over.

However, that massive knock in the Mumbai heat might have drained the skipper, as he had to go off the field due to a leg injury.

Why Ajinkya Rahane Had To Leave The Field During MI vs KKR IPL Match?

During the fifth over of the IPL match, while Varun Chakravarthy came in to bowl and Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton were striking, Rahane went down on the ground lying, with players rushing in to check on him.

As the camera panned, Rahane was clearly struggling with cramps. The physio rushed onto the field as Rahane needed medical attention.

After a few minutes of thorough scrutiny, he was advised to leave the field. Hence, Ajinkya Rahane hobbled off the field with the physio.

However, before leaving, he sent a message to the stand-in skipper Rinku Singh, who, after Rahane's exit, became the skipper for the Knights.

Also Read- MI Vs KKR Toss: Hardik Pandya Includes 3 Debutants, Finn Allen In As KKR Invited To Bat

Can Rahane Leave The Field Mid-Match As Per The Rules?

As per the rule books, a substitute fielder can be used if a captain is injured and has to compulsorily leave the field. Under the IPL match playing conditions, umpires will allow the substitute if they are satisfied that the player is actually injured.

However, the substitute fielder who comes onto the field will not be given the power to be the standing captain, and hence, Rinku Singh was named the skipper in Ajinkya Rahane's absence.

It is also to be noted that the substitute fielder cannot bowl or bat in the match and can only act as a wicketkeeper after consent from the match referees.

Mumbai Indians Start Off Chase With Rohit-Rickelton Blitz

Nevertheless, Ajinkya Rahane's absence might impact Kolkata's innings. Mumbai is on a strong note while chasing. From the powerplay, Mumbai garnered 80 runs without losing a wicket as Rohit Sharma sailed with his 23-ball 50 and Ryan Rickelton smashed at a strike rate of 250.38.

Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders had a roll at Wankhede where, alongside Rahane, Finn Allen gave Kolkata a flurry start with his 17-ball 37.

Ankrish Raghuvanshi, the wicketkeeper for KKR, also slammed a 29-ball 51 at a strike rate of 175.86 to anchor KKR's little middle-order collapse.

Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh saw an end to the game to push KKR's total to a mammoth 220 runs at the loss of 4 wickets.

The MI camp on the bowling side, though, were not impressive except for Shardul Thakur, who managed to scalp the all-important wickets of Rahane, Allen, and Cameron Green in the IPL 2026 match

Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah failed and went wicketless while conceding 35 runs from his 4-over spell. The most expensive, though, was AM Ghazanfar, who gave away 51 runs from his spell for the night.

Also Read- When AM Ghazanfar, The MI Debutant In IPL 2026, Stunned Bangladesh With His 6-Fer