IPL 2026: KKR should drop Rahane and appoint new Captain? Former India player gives Blunt Advice

Kolkata Knight Riders, the three-time IPL champions, are struggling badly in the 2026 season. Yet to register a single win, the side sits at the bottom of the points table with just one point, clearly showing signs of panic.

Their recent match against Chennai Super Kings exposed the turmoil, with captain Ajinkya Rahane demoting himself in the batting order and Cameron Green being pushed even below Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Former India captain and national selector Kris Srikkanth has urged the KKR management to stick with Rahane for a little longer before making any drastic leadership changes. Speaking ahead of KKR’s upcoming clash against Gujarat Titans, he proposed a strong alternative if the results do not improve soon.

Rahane has scored 152 runs this season with a decent strike rate in the powerplay, but he has found it difficult to accelerate in the middle overs. Srikkanth believes that appointing him as captain was the wrong decision from the beginning. He suggested that Rahane should focus mainly on his leadership responsibilities and bat only when required, avoiding the middle order.

Srikkanth also recommended dropping the underperforming overseas players Finn Allen and Cameron Green, and bringing in Rachin Ravindra and Pathirana as replacements. He proposed opening the innings with Rachin Ravindra and Rahane to bring better balance to the team.

The former selector criticised the bowling attack, pointing out Vaibhav Arora’s tendency to leak runs, and took a dig at Rinku Singh’s inconsistent form, saying he cannot continue batting at No. 5 unless he finishes close games. He singled out Kartik Tyagi as the only bright spot in the bowling department.

With the season rapidly slipping away, KKR is under immense pressure to stabilise quickly, or they risk an early exit from title contention.