Ajinkya Rahane remained proud of his team’s fighting spirit despite Kolkata Knight Riders ending their IPL 2026 campaign with a 40-run defeat to Delhi Capitals at Eden Gardens on Sunday. Rahane played a superb knock of 63 off 39 balls during the chase and admitted afterwards that batting was not easy initially. The KKR skipper said he understood the importance of staying till the end while also keeping the scoreboard moving. “Yeah, I mean, the wicket was a little tricky at the start. I was batting really well and knew one batter had to go through, so I tried to take my chances. I was actually looking to target strike rotation as well,” Rahane said after the match. Despite another disappointing campaign which saw KKR finish seventh with six wins from 14 games, Rahane praised the character shown by his players after a difficult start to the season. “The situation we were in after six games and then from there coming back, keeping the league alive and playing that kind of cricket needed character, a good attitude and resilience. I’m really proud of each and every individual.” KKR had struggled badly in the first half of the tournament before reviving their playoff hopes with a strong late run. However, Rajasthan Royals’ win over Mumbai Indians earlier in the day officially ended KKR’s qualification hopes even before the match against Delhi began. Rahane admitted the season ending without a playoff spot was disappointing but stressed that the dressing room atmosphere remained positive throughout. “In the first half of the season there were key moments where we were losing out, but after that, coming back from there is never easy. IPL is a long tournament with a lot of pressure and high-pressure situations.” “But again, staying strong, having that character and attitude in every game and trying your best for the team – inside the dressing room we all were really happy. This season didn’t go our way and we didn’t qualify, which is disappointing, but I’m really proud of everyone and the kind of effort we put in,” he added. Rahane also opened up about what lies ahead for the squad after the IPL season. “I think at the moment the guys have their commitments. We’ll just go off to our homes, probably take some time off and then obviously we’ll probably connect over calls or Zoom and have discussions moving forward.” The veteran batter also revealed that he has no plans to stay away from cricket for long and will soon return to action in Mumbai’s local league circuit. “For me, just a couple of days off. I’m going to play my local league in Mumbai, which I’m really looking forward to. I’m happy as long as I’m playing cricket. So yes, a couple of days off and then back to cricket,” Rahane said.
