In an indication of the team’s long-term leadership goals, the three-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders named explosive batsman Rinku Singh as their vice-captain for IPL 2026 on Tuesday.
Despite KKR’s dismal IPL 2025 campaign, Ajinkya Rahane has been retained as captain, and Rinku will be his deputy.
“Rinku Singh will work very closely with skipper Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain,” PTI quoted KKR CEO Venky Mysore as saying during the team’s ‘Knights Unplugged 3.0’ event in Kolkata on Tuesday.
KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar supported the move, stating that Rinku’s development within the team made him an obvious fit for a leadership position.
“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.
From being selected for Rs 80 lakh in 2018 to being retained for Rs 13 crore ahead of IPL 2025, Rinku’s ascent has been one of the most amazing tales in IPL history.
He became an overnight star after hitting five straight sixes in a final-over chase, which accelerated his call-up to India and solidified his status as one of the best finishers in the league.
Rahane and Rinku were called to the platform together, but Rinku received the biggest applause from the crowd. Many even chanted “captain kore dao Rinku (make Rinku the captain),” demonstrating his enormous popularity.
Rahane praised the left-hander’s ascent and impact on the squad, saying that Rinku Singh comes to mind when someone thinks about KKR after its Bollywood superstar owner, Shah Rukh Khan.
“I’m really happy to see Rinku as vice-captain. Really happy for him. I’ve seen his growth throughout the years. Rinku started his journey eight years back. To see him achieve so many things makes everyone happy, not just me. Every person in the dressing room is really happy. He has just won the (T20) World Cup and has also gone through tough times. Watching Rinku practice really hard day in and day out really motivates us.
“The attitude he brings is really fantastic. I believe when KKR’s name comes up, you always think of Shah Rukh Khan sir — and after Shah Rukh Khan sir, it’s Rinku Singh,” Rahane said.
“Kaafi achha lag raha hai. Aap ne mujhe mauka diya hai vice-captain banne ka. I was part of the World Cup-winning team. Every player has a dream to play for India and win the World Cup, so that dream has been fulfilled,” Rinku said addressing the crowd.
As the team hopes to make a big comeback this season, Rinku called for ongoing support.
“Just want to say: Keep supporting us in good and bad times. We have a very good squad this time. We will try to do better and have the trophy in our hands this time,” Rinku said.
With the exception of the three injured players, Akash Deep, Matheesha Pathirana, and Harshit Rana, the complete team and support personnel were present. Due to an injury, Akash Deep will not play in the 2026 IPL.
On Wednesday, the team will depart for Mumbai, where they will play their first game on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium against the Mumbai Indians.
The first player to appear on stage was left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey, who has been selected to replace Akash Deep.
Despite leading KKR’s scoring charts with 390 runs the previous season, Rahane, 37, was unable to stop the team from finishing ninth with just five victories in 14 games (two of which were abandoned) during their championship defense—their lowest performance since 2009.
After a record bid of Rs 25.20 crore for Cameron Green, KKR enters IPL 2026 with a drastically changed batting unit.
With Sunil Narine at the top, the team now has explosive options like Finn Allen and Tim Seifert.
Rinku’s nomination as Rahane’s deputy implies a clear succession plan, even though Rahane may not be the range hitter required by the new T20 game.
