- May 26, 2025
Do you know the feeling when your favorite treat doesn’t taste the same as it did when you got it? This is kind of how some fans are feeling about Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy this IPL season. Rahane used to be known as calm under pressure, had a competent cricketing brain and was called brainy by experts. He may have been a class batter, but as a leader in a league based on flexibility and instinctual decision making, was he too rigid? Let’s look at what has transpired and determine if he is a disappointment or simply misjudged.
The Leadership Void: Playing It Too Safe?
One of the obvious examples of Rahane’s passivity this year has been his unwillingness to consider a flexible batting order, which was not the case with his predecessor, Shreyas Iyer, who promoted someone like Venkatesh Iyer instead of himself when it was clear that it was what was best for the team Rahane has generally stayed true to the basics, and especially a defined batting order.
In matches clearly out of reach, the options and overall ability to move players around have been non-existent. This ability to be agile, and in particular in the moment, has likely cost the team more than a couple of times. When compared to the way the previous captain played in a fluid environment and moved players around, and particularly inserted himself when necessary, the differences in style are visible.
Where’s the Intent? Batting & Beyond
Another area that has seemed a bit off-color in Rahane’s leadership is his own performance with the bat. In many T20 matches, captains are expected to lead from the front – not necessarily by scoring runs, but by setting the tone. Rahane’s strike rate thus far this season has been disappointing, while it may be useful to “anchor,” there is a fine line between “anchor” and “anchor dragging the boat.”
When under pressure, where an explosive knock could make the difference, Rahane either got out cheaply or didn’t bat with the intent required. When comparing that to the fearless batting we saw in patches last season, one has to question where that intent has gone. More importantly, why isn’t he leading the way for the rest of the batting group? T20 leadership is less about strategy and more about energy, which has been lacking this season.
Tactical Tunnel Vision
The IPL is a game of momentum. A captain acts like a DJ, where knowing when to change the beat is crucial. Of late, Rahane has been more DJ on a loop playlist: sticking with the same, ineffective bowlers, and not strategically using the matchups, and/or failing to read the pitch fast enough. Those tactical misreads have added up.
What makes it worse is that he is captaining in a time when coaches and analysts are offering you all kinds of data and matchups. And still, Rahane is captaining like it is 2013, not 2025. Rahane has shown little to no evidence of creating early change or thinking outside the box.
Has Rahane been a disappointment as a captain? As a captain in a league that requires having sharp instincts, tactical flexibility, and leading from the front, Rahane’s overly cautious style has fallen behind in terms of relevance. The Rahane of Test cricket—steady, considered, and methodical—may be of value. But T20? This is a different animal altogether.
The real question is: can he change, or is it time for the franchise to explore a more aggressive, intuitive leader? What do you think, does Rahane deserve another year with the captaincy, or is this a gentle farewell to his IPL captaincy?
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