'He Has Got A Better Record Than Rohit Sharma': Captain Ajinkya Rahane Finds Support Amid KKR's Struggle In IPL 2026

IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders picked up their first point of IPL 2026 after their match against Punjab Kings was washed out due to persistent rain on Monday. Both PBKS and KKR shared a point apiece, but it was the home side who had been desperate to open their account this edition. Captain Ajinkya Rahane's decision to bat first backfired as KKR were reeling at 25/2 after Xavier Bartlett removed both Finn Allen and Cameron Green.

Ajinkya Rahane Finds Support Amid KKR's Struggle In IPL 2026

Except for the first match, Rahane failed to provide the perfect start in the last two matches. The KKR captain has been under severe scrutiny this season, and he seemed to have lost his cool after he was quizzed over his strike rate. As per ESPN Cricinfo, the KKR skipper has the second-best strike rate (167.78) after SRH star Abhishek Sharma (176.56).

Now, Simon Doull came forward in Rahane's support and compared the player with Rohit Sharma.

In a conversation with Cricbuzz, he said, “His numbers in the last four years have not been that bad. He averages 30 and strikes at 148 over 30-odd games. People are talking about dropping him. It’s a better record than what Rohit has got in the last four years. It’s an equal record to Ishan Kishan in the last four years. You are not talking about dropping any of those blokes. Hence his frustration. But it comes down to the pressure from a captaincy point of view.”

When Will Matheesha Pathirana Return?

KKR's Matheesha Pathirana conundrum has continued to derail their plans. The Sri Lankan seamer picked up an injury during the T20 World Cup 2026 and is yet to regain his full fitness. The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has mandated a fitness test in order to receive a No Objection Certificate for IPL.

As per reports, Pathirana hasn't taken the fitness test and it could be held next week. The player recently reposted a story of him bowling in the nets and it triggered a huge optimism among the KKR supporters.

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