KKR told to give Ajinkya Rahane ‘one or two chances more’ before dropping him: ‘I’ll make Sunil Narine the captain'

Former India selector Kris Srikkanth wants Ajinkya Rahane dropped from the KKR lineup.

Updated on: Apr 17, 2026, 13:15:24 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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The time is running out for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The three-time champions are yet to get a win on the board and are languishing at the bottom of the points table with just one point. The franchise are clearly showing signs of panic, and the last match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) provided enough proof. Ajinkya Rahane demoted himself down the batting order, and Cameron Green came below even Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Amid mounting struggles, former India captain and national selector Kris Srikkanth has urged the KKR management to look beyond Rahane as captain.

Kris Srikkanth wants Ajinkya Rahane dropped from the KKR lineup (PTI)

Ahead of the fixture between KKR and the Gujarat Titans, Srikkanth said that Rahane can be given one or two chances at the most, and if the performances don't come through, Rahane should be replaced as captain by Sunil Narine.

Rahane has scored 152 runs in the IPL 2026 season so far, and his strike rate has been reasonably good inside the powerplay. However, he has found it tough to change the gears outside the powerplay. Srikkanth believes that making Rahane the captain was the wrong move by KKR, and it's high time the franchise corrects its mistake. Not just Rahane; Srikkanth also wants Cameron Green and Finn Allen dropped for their poor performances.

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“I'll give Ajinkya Rahane one or two chances more. If nothing changes, I'll drop him also and make Sunil Narine the captain midway through the season. Rahane should come into bat only if necessary. Else let him only captain the side. He shouldn't bat in the middle. 20. Making him the captain was the wrong move in the first place. But do they have the courage to make a strong move of dropping him now?” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

“They should drop Finn Allen and Cameron Green. Bring in Rachin Ravindra and Pathirana. They can open with Rachin Ravindra and Rahane. That'll balance the team. But their support staff itself looks better than the actual players they have,” he added.

‘Rinku Singh never performs’

The former national selector also traded barbs at Rinku Singh for his underperformance, saying the left-handed batter cannot bat at No.5 if his lacklustre show continues.

“They also have no chance with this bowling and batting. Vaibhav Arora consistently concedes 55 runs off 4 overs. What will you do with him as your main strike bowler? Rinku Singh never scores,” said Srikkanth.

“He can't play at 5. If it's 40 needed off the last 3 to 4 overs, he will do that job. Otherwise, he can't do anything. Kartik Tyagi is the one guy doing well,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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