3 reasons why KKR must release Ajinkya Rahane after team's poor campaign in IPL 2025

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders finished their Indian Premier League 2025 campaign on a disastrous note, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 110 runs in New Delhi on Sunday, May 25. KKR ended the league phase in eighth position.

Among others, their captain Ajinkya Rahane was widely criticized for the team's poor showing. KKR, despite not starting the season well, were in line for a spot in the playoffs until a few weeks ago.

However, they lost two out of their last three matches, with one game being abandoned due to rain. Rahane was held responsible for many of the issues the franchise went through this season, despite other players not doing well either.

In this listicle, we take a look at three reasons why KKR must release him after this season:

#3 He failed to capitalize on key moments as captain

One of the biggest complaints from Rahane this season was regarding his inability to capitalize on key moments as captain. He was often critiqued for not taking brave approaches on the field, which did not bode well for KKR.

Rahane was recently taken to the cleaners by Virender Sehwag for batting at number three in their defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, and not sending more attack-minded batters ahead of him.

Rahane, in the post-match conference after the Hyderabad defeat, said he would have opened this season if not for the requirements of the team.

#2 Failed to inspire with his batting

Rahane started the IPL season on the front foot (three 30+ scores in his first five innings) and went hard against the new ball. However, he went through a lot of ups and downs in his personal form, which saw him get to 390 runs in 12 innings at a strike-rate of 147.

Though he struck at 147, there were a few games where his team could have benefited from a quicker approach. The India star came into the IPL on the back of a brilliant run of form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was the leading run-getter, bagging 469 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 164. However, he couldn't recapture that form in the IPL.

Moreover, his decision to move up and down the order affected, among others, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who arguably looked their best batter this season.

#1 His departure will signal a moment of transition and the way forward for the franchise

Another major reason why KKR will do well to bid goodbye to Rahane is that it will signal their intention to move forward. Last season, they won the IPL title under dynamic captain Shreyas Iyer, and a lot was expected from them this time around as well. Rahane tried his best, but things did not fall into place for the Knights.

KKR, who are the third-most successful franchise in the IPL, will wish to emulate the likes of Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, who have won five titles each, and for this to happen, they will have to be severe in their retentions for next season. However, alongside Rahane, the departures of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine may also be the spark needed for this transition to take place.

While they still have the option of retaining Rahane and giving the captaincy to someone else, the franchise will want to start with a clean slate. The Knights have already invested a lot in youth, with the likes of Rana and Raghuvanshi reaping rich dividends from this policy. The way forward for them should be similar, and sadly, old warhorses Rahane, Russell and Narine may have little to do or say in that.