KKR finished the league table on the eighth spot.
KKR won 5 games, lost 7, and saw two of their matches get washed out by rain this season. As a result, the 2024 champions finished the league table on the eighth spot.
After the last league fixture, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that while the bowling unit did a commendable job in the IPL 2025, it was the batting that fell short.
"This season has been kind of up and down for us. We had our chances, but as a unit, we didn’t play really well," Rahane told reporters.
"If you win close matches, those are the differences. And the Punjab Kings game, LSG game, and also the CSK game, I thought those 2-3 games could have been slightly different.
“What I saw as a captain was that everyone tried their best. It's never easy to come into a season as defending champions — expectations are high. But I can say we gave our best and we’ll definitely come back stronger next year,” he added.
Since the start of the tournament, the spotlight was on Venkatesh Iyer as KKR splashed a whopping Rs 23.75 crore in the IPL auction to bring him back to the setup after initially releasing him. He was also named the vice-captain.
However, the all-rounder failed to repay the faith of the team management, managing only 142 runs in 11 matches for KKR.
Rahane defended his deputy by saying, “See, what I can say is, whether a player is bought for Rs 20 crore or Rs 2 crore, the attitude on the field shouldn't change — and I don't think it did.”
“Venkatesh was focused on the right things. He was training hard, committed during games, and trying to contribute. His attitude was fantastic.”
“One off-season can happen to any player. It’s not about money or pressure from the price tag — it’s about form and the team dynamics. For us, unfortunately, three to four players were out of form simultaneously, and that made the difference.”
Ajinkya Rahane ended up as the leading run-getter for KKR with 390 runs to his name from 12 innings.
“Sometimes, after having a couple of good seasons, you start expecting too much from yourself — and that adds pressure,” he said. “It’s human. You’ve done well, people expect a lot, and you start trying to prove how good you are instead of just playing your natural game.”
“Two or three of our key batters were going through that phase. It’s not about individuals — it’s something we’ll all learn from.”
He expressed confidence in the potential of his players, saying, “Rinku, Ramandeep, all of them will come back stronger. They’re experienced enough to bounce back.”
Rahane also defended his decision not to open for KKR. He was the highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while playing for Mumbai, amassing 469 runs in eight innings with a healthy strike rate of 164.
“Yes, I’d love to open. I’ve done well in Mushtaq Ali and other formats as an opener. But it’s about what the team needs,” he said.
While the batting unit came under scrutiny, Rahane was full of praise for the team’s bowling. Varun Chakaravarthy and Vaibhav Arora are at fifth and seventh position in the Purple Cap race with 17 wickets each. Harshit Rana, one of the top performers of last season, claimed 15 scalps.
“Harshit has been doing well — for India and for us. But the challenge is real. Playing high-intensity games and immediately shifting to IPL is tough. It's not an excuse, but it’s a factor,” Rahane said.
“He did well in the Champions Trophy too. Such tournaments take a toll on your body and mind. Despite that, as a unit, our bowlers — Harshit, Varun, Sunil (Narine), and Vaibhav — were very clear in their thinking. That was very encouraging.”