Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 25 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane reflected proudly on his side's fighting spirit in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, saying the team showed great resilience after a difficult start.

He emphasised how KKR stayed alive in the tournament by displaying character, positivity, and unity under pressure.

While admitting disappointment over missing out on play-off qualification, Rahane stressed that the squad's comeback in the second half of the IPL was a major positive and praised every player for their commitment and effort.

The three-time IPL winner missed out on the top four spot as they finished seventh in the points table.

'Talking about the kind of season we had, I'm really proud of each and every one. 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. I'm really proud of each and every individual,' Rahane said.

'Absolutely, there are a lot of positives. In the first half of the season there were key moments where we were losing out, but after that, coming back from there is never easy. IPL is a long tournament with a lot of pressure and high-pressure situations. But again, staying strong, having that character and attitude in every game and trying your best for the team - inside the dressing room we all were really happy. As I said, every individual put in that effort by going out there. This season didn't go our way and we didn't qualify, which is disappointing, but I'm really proud of everyone and the kind of effort we put in,' he added.

KKR finished their 2026 IPL season with a big defeat to Delhi Capitals in their final league game of IPL 2026. KL Rahul slammed a classy half-century and Kuldeep Yadav picked up three wickets as DC defeated KKR by 40 runs in Kolkata on Sunday night. (ANI)