Varun Chakaravarthy Ajinkya Rahane Venky Mysore for KKR. Image Credits: AFP
Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, KKR are yet to confirm their captaincy contender. Ajinkya Rahane, who led the team in 2025, is reportedly the front-runner to retain his role despite a fallout last year.
The IPL 2026 edition will begin on March 28. KKR, meanwhile, will start their camping on March 29 against the Mumbai Indians. Hence, with just two weeks left for the tournament to begin, fans are awaiting clarity over Kolkata’s captaincy choice.
Ajinkya Rahane likely to continue as KKR captain
According to the latest report from Mumbai Mirror, Ajinkya Rahane is expected to continue as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL 2026 season.
Ajinkya Rahane assumed the role ahead of the 2025 season after Shreyas Iyer left the franchise and later joined the Punjab Kings.
Despite Kolkata Knight Riders failing to qualify for the playoffs, management believes Ajinkya Rahane remains the best leadership option because of his vast experience in international and franchise cricket and his strong understanding of the team environment.
Although KKR finished 8th in IPL 2025, Ajinkya Rahane performed well individually, scoring 390 runs in 13 matches with a 35.45 average, 147.78 strike rate, and three half-centuries.
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Kolkata Knight Riders to undergo a leadership change in management
While KKR are not making any changes related to captaincy, the coaching structure will be duly revamped. Abhishek Nayar will be promoted as head coach, while Andre Russell will join as Power Coach.
Russell was released by Kolkata Knight Riders last year, and he chose to retire from IPL completely. Hence, to reward his loyalty, Knight Riders roped in the power-hitter in a new role.
However, apart from this, KKR also suffered a huge blow as pacer Harshit Rana got ruled out of IPL 2026 with a knee injury.
Also, the team signed Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, who had to be released on BCCI orders due to India-Bangladesh political conflict.
Matheesha Pathirana injured ahead of IPL 2026
In another setback, Matheesha Pathirana has also picked up an injury ahead of the IPL 2026 season. KKR bought the Sri Lankan fast bowler for ₹18 crore during the auction, expecting him to strengthen their pace attack.
However, Pathirana suffered a calf injury during a match between Sri Lanka and Australia in the T20 World Cup 2026 in Pallekele. The injury forced him to miss the rest of the tournament.
Pathirana recently clarified that he is still in Sri Lanka, undergoing rehabilitation, and won’t travel to India anytime soon. This update raised doubts about whether he will be fit in time for the IPL season.
What would worry Kolkata Knight Riders more is that Matheesha Pathirana has a history of recurring injuries. He previously suffered from a shoulder niggle in 2024, a leg injury in early 2025, and now a calf injury.
With Harshit Rana already ruled out, losing Pathirana could prove to be devastating for KKR.
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