New Delhi, March 18 -- The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have confirmed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the IPL 2026. This ends speculation about a possible leadership change. The franchise officially announced the decision on social media on 17 March.

KKR had a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign after having won the title in 2024. In the fallout, head coach Chandrakant Pandit was not retained, vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer was released, and bowling coach Bharat Arun also departed. Many expected a change of captain to follow.

However, the management chose continuity over experimentation, reportedly on the advice of new coach Abhishek Nayar. Rahane, who led KKR last season and performed well with the bat, has been trusted with the job again...