Former India batter Mohammad Kaif, kind of gave his views on how IPL captains did once the 2026 season wrapped up. And yeah, he backed a few leaders who handled the pressure pretty well, but he also hinted that some captains could end up losing the captaincy , before next season starts up again.
Kaif spoke pretty openly about the mess or struggles some teams had, and he basically said a couple of captains should reconsider stepping back from leadership duties themselves, rather than waiting until the franchise removes them.
Mohammad Kaif Supports Ajinkya Rahane
Even though Kolkata Knight Riders ended up finishing seventh this season, Kaif still praised Ajinkya Rahane for how he managed the team when things got tough.
KKR had a rough start, plus they also dealt with injuries to key bowlers. Still, the team somehow fought back in a strong way during the second half of the tournament.
While talking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said Rahane deserves another go as captain.
Kaif said:
“KKR have done well. Rahane must be struggling with the bat, but the way KKR made a comeback after losing the first five games, they didn’t have Pathirana, Cameron Green wasn’t bowling earlier, and Harshit Rana wasn’t available. In their absence, Rahane did a good job as a captain.”
Rahane led KKR in both IPL 2025 and IPL 2026, though the franchise couldn’t make it to the playoffs in either season.
Kaif Wants Rishabh Pant To Focus On Batting
Kaif also named four captains who he thinks might be under extra pressure after IPL 2026. His list included Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
None of these captains actually managed to take their teams into the playoffs this year. But Kaif was especially direct about Rishabh Pant, saying the wicketkeeper-batter should step away from captaincy duties and just focus on improving his batting along with keeping.
Kaif added:
“Pant shouldn’t be the captain. Without captaincy, he has a good record with the bat. He’s gone behind in the Indian cricket team. He should focus on batting and keeping. There were Justin Langer and Tom Moody. I didn’t like LSG putting Pant under the bus. Keeping is a daring task," Kaif said.
"Pant should focus on batting and keeping; he can make a comeback in the national team in white-ball cricket.”
Pant’s captaincy record, in recent times, has drawn a lot of criticism. He’s had group-stage exits as captain with both Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants.
Rajat Patidar Compared To MS Dhoni
Kaif also had big praise for Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar. Patidar led RCB to their first IPL title last year, and this time as well, he has gotten the team to the final.
According to Kaif, Patidar’s calm temperament when pressure mounts brings him to mind of former India captain MS Dhoni.
Kaif said further:
“Patidar’s captaincy, I liked it a lot this year. Rajat Patidar showed an example that he was not a brand when he was picked. I like that RCB picked him on the back of his domestic leadership capabilities. Yes, he is batting tremendously well at No. 4, hits sixes from ball one. But the plus point is that he can be your [Team India's] leader in the future," Kaif said.
"He doesn’t panic under pressure. MS Dhoni is captain cool, and Patidar seems to be on a similar path. He’s also scoring against good bowling teams. As a captain, he’s setting standards and his bat is doing the talking."
Big Decisions Expected Before IPL 2027
Now that IPL 2026 is basically done for most teams, the captaincy change talk has already started. Teams that failed to reach the playoffs might now take a closer look at their leadership setups before the next season.
Kaif’s comments have only added extra focus on what might happen to several captains going into IPL 2027.