AjinkyaRahane, after KKR’s loss, was taken aback when a reporter congratulated him

Despite KKR’s winless run at the IPL 2026, Rahane was pleasantly surprised after a reporter “congratulated” him in the press conference after the loss against the Gujarat Titans.

AjinkyaRahane has been under scrutiny after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) haven’t tasted success thus far in this year’s IPL. The KKR captain has attracted backlash because the team has yet to win a single game in six matches. The 3-time champions have just one point on the board, thanks to rain at the Eden Gardens against the Punjab Kings.

AjinkyaRahane was stunned when a reporter congratulated him after KKR’s loss against GT.

The KKR captain looked stunned when a reporter congratulated him for putting in the hard work day in and day out. A genuine moment of emotion was seen on Rahane’s face as he thanked the reporter for appreciating the effort he had been putting in behind the scenes. The reporter said, “Congratulations first for your hard work.” Rahane replied, “Thank you so much, thank you. Someone really appreciated my hard work.”

Rahane talks about embracing the tough days.

Rahane said that the franchise needs to take the setbacks in its stride and hope for a quick turnaround. After losing 5 of 6 matches, the road ahead has become tricky for KKR, and the franchise needs to win at least 7 of its 8 games to have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. He said, “You’ve got to embrace those days, tough days as well. As a sportsman, keep your head up, keep trying your best every day. So, for us, it’s all about just going out there, being positive, playing with freedom.” He added, “Embrace these tough days as a team, as an individual. And every day is a new day, trying to get better, going out there. What we can do as a team is play with freedom, play to our potential and try to back each other, enjoy each other’s success.”

AjinkyaRahane continued, “The guys who are bowling in the powerplay are inexperienced. That’s the truth. That’s the honest truth. But they are still giving their best. They are trying their best to pick the wicket, which is not happening. But as I said, Anukul Roy, KarthikTyagi, Vaibhav Arora, they are really trying their best.”