Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) could have a new captain when they begin their campaign in IPL 2027, following Ajinkya Rahane’s reported retirement from professional cricket. The three-time champions will need to identify a successor after relying on the former India batter to lead the side over the last couple of seasons. Former India and KKR batter Aakash Chopra believes Rinku Singh should be considered for the leadership role.
Rinku served as Rahane’s deputy during IPL 2026, and Aakash Chopra feels the franchise should promote him to captain if they fail to secure a suitable candidate at the upcoming players’ auction. Chopra, who is now a cricket expert and commentator, also pointed to Rinku’s leadership experience in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League. The left-handed batter guided his team to the title earlier this year, strengthening the case for him to take charge of KKR.
Speaking on JioStar, Aakash Chopra suggested that the franchise should back Rinku rather than depend on an overseas player for captaincy. “Appoint Rinku as the captain. You made him the vice-captain, right? Then have him as the captain now. He leads his side in the UPT20. Sometimes you have to throw people in at the deep end and see what happens. So, this is that opportunity, unless they can find somebody at the auction. If they can’t find anyone, rather than looking at overseas players, I’ll actually go towards Rinku,” Chopra said.
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Apart from the captaincy question, Chopra also believes KKR need to make important decisions regarding their overseas players ahead of the next auction. He has suggested releasing Australian all-rounder Cameron Green and Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana to free up a significant amount of money for fresh additions.
KKR signed Green for ₹25.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, making him one of their biggest investments. However, his limited bowling contribution raised questions about the value he offered to the team. Pathirana, meanwhile, was bought for Rs 18 crore but managed to feature in only one match because of injury and fitness concerns.
Chopra believes releasing both players could give KKR considerable financial flexibility. He also highlighted the uncertainty surrounding Green’s availability, particularly with the World Cup and Ashes schedule potentially affecting his participation.
“I am looking to leave out Cameron Green at ₹25.2 crores. It’s a World Cup year, and it’s an Ashes year, so I am not sure about his availability or how many matches he will play. If you release him, even if you feel like buying him back, you can easily get him for 50 per cent cheaper. Secondly, Matheesha Pathirana is also not playing, so that’s another Rs 18 crore buy. KKR are likely to walk into this auction with the most amount of money, so that will be the big story,” Aakash Chopra said.
Chopra also discussed the possibility of retaining Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, provided he is available for the tournament. KKR had signed the left-arm pacer for more than ₹9 crore at the 2026 auction, but he was removed from the squad by the BCCI before the season began.
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“We also don’t know what is going to happen with Mustafizur Rahman. If he is available and can play, you would want to retain him, but can he play? We don’t know about that. If he can play, I would still have him retained because you already have a surplus of Rs 43 crore with those two releases,” he added.
With leadership changes and major squad decisions potentially on the agenda, KKR could enter the next auction with plenty to
