Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed Rinku Singh as vice-captain for IPL 2026, placing him alongside skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who continues in the role despite last season’s struggles.
“Rinku Singh will work very closely with skipper Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said at the ‘Knights Unplugged 3.0’ event. Head coach Abhishek Nayar said Rinku’s growth within the team made him a strong candidate for the role.
“I’ve seen him evolve as a leader over the years. He’s someone the team always looks forward to, so we wanted to give him a little bit more responsibility. I feel it’s the perfect time after winning the T20 World Cup,” Nayar said.
Rinku’s journey has been steady since joining KKR in 2018 for Rs 80 lakh. He was retained for Rs 13 crore ahead of IPL 2025, reflecting his rise as a key player.
His reputation was built after he hit five sixes in a last-over chase, a moment that brought him into the spotlight. At the event, Rahane and Rinku were called on stage together, with Rinku receiving the loudest cheers.
Fans chanted “captain kore dao Rinku (make Rinku the captain),” showing his popularity. The squad, except injured players Harshit Rana, Matheesha Pathirana and Akash Deep, was present along with the support staff.
Saurabh Dubey, named as Akash Deep’s replacement, was introduced first. KKR will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29. The team leaves for Mumbai on Wednesday.
The franchise has made changes to its batting line-up after parting ways with Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer. Cameron Green was signed for Rs 25.20 crore at the auction.
The squad now includes players like Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, with Sunil Narine expected to open. Rahane, 37, was KKR’s top scorer last season with 390 runs, but the team finished eighth with five wins in 14 matches (two abandoned).
Despite that, Rahane said he remains focused on the season ahead.
“Every year, there are different challenges as a player and also as a captain. What I learned throughout my journey is to be positive each and every time, whatever challenges are there,” he said during KKR’s first media interaction last week.
“My mindset has always been like that throughout my career, that if I see any challenges or particular, if something difficult is, I look at it in a positive way and try to give my best as a player and also as a captain,” he added.