Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane is under pressure as the franchise is winless after three matches in IPL 2026. He hasn’t been able to impress as a batter, and even his leadership is not up to the mark. KKR have lost two matches, while one of their games was called off due to rain. Rahane hit out at a reporter, who highlighted his low strike rate in the tournament, calling it an agenda.
The right-handed batter stated that he has scored his runs at a good strike rate, and the criticism is unfair.
“I have one of the best strike rates since 2023. People who are talking about me are not watching the game, or they have an agenda against me. They don’t like me competing,” Rahane said.
Following his statement, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has spoken in favor of the Indian batter. Doull pointed out that Rahane’s strike rate in the last few seasons is better than that of former MI captain Rohit Sharma and equal to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan.
“Rahane’s numbers in the last few years haven’t been bad. He has recorded a strike rate of 148 and an average of 30 in 30-odd matches. People want his exclusion from KKR’s playing XI, but they don’t realize that his runs have come at a better strike rate than Rohit Sharma,” Doull said on Cricbuzz.
“His strike rate is equal to Ishan Kishan’s in the last four years. You are not talking about dropping Rohit and Ishan. It also comes down to the captaincy pressure,” he added.
After winning the IPL title in 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders finished eighth in 2025. The poor campaign in 2025 and the ordinary start in 2026 have increased Rahane’s problems.
“The issue started after KKR finished eighth last year, and they haven’t been good this season as well. He is frustrated because the team is not performing as a group. It is not all his fault,” Doull concluded.
