Even after losing by 40 runs to Delhi Capitals on Sunday, Kolkata Knight Riders’ leader Ajinkya Rahane stood firm in backing his squad’s grit. Though their shot at the IPL 2026 playoffs faded fast, he saw real backbone in how they clawed back into contention late in the campaign. What started slow turned sharper down the stretch – proof, perhaps, of quiet belief when few were watching.

“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,” Rahane said after the match.

Pride sat heavy despite the letdown, the captain of KKR noted – each teammate had given what they could.

Ajinkya Rahane hails KKR’s resilience

Still, Rahane touched on his knock, saying the slow pitch made moving between wickets a priority – only when gaps opened did he push harder. Though patience ruled early, timing shaped how runs came later.
“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,” he said.

A pause will come once the season ends, said the experienced batsman, then back to Mumbai’s local matches. After that stretch of rest, play resumes where it feels familiar again.
“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,” Rahane added.

Kuldeep Yadav, named Player of the Match, said he hadn’t met his personal standards this season. After the last game, instead of staying put, he went back home.

There, working alongside the coach who trained him as a kid, he focused on fixing small mistakes in his technique.

“To be very honest, I thought I didn’t have a great season because I was expecting more from myself but couldn’t deliver,” Kuldeep said.
He said his body faced too much forward when releasing the ball. That stance weakened his different spins. Batters spotted them quicker because of it.

“Once you start using more of your body and try to spin the ball harder, ultimately you see the results. You get the dip and the drift, and obviously you can vary the pace as well,” he explained.

That wicket of Rinku Singh? Kuldeep called it proof his timing had clicked – the ball tossed softer, hung longer, caught the hitter off guard mid-swing.

Even so, Axar Patel, leading the Delhi Capitals, highlighted how his players kept pushing even after playoff hopes faded. Staying steady under the kind of pressure seen in the IPL matters most when guiding a side through tough moments.

“Even when things were not going well, the way the team fought after that, I am very proud. No one thought that we would just give up and think we are already out,” Axar said.

He picked Sunrisers Hyderabad too, seeing them as a top team in the race for playoffs.
“When their top three score runs, that team becomes very difficult to stop,” he added.