KKR urged to appoint Rinku Singh as captain after UPT20 League heroics: ‘Invest a little in him’

Three-time champions KKR urged to make Rinku Singh the captain ahead of the IPL 2027 season.

Updated on: Sep 7, 2026, 11:28:04 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Former India batter Suresh Raina urged the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) not to waste any more time and appoint Rinku Singh as the captain at the earliest. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) great made this comment after Rinku led the Meerut Mavericks to a title win in the fourth season of the UPT20 League. The left-handed batter, who was recently left out of the squad for the upcoming series against Afghanistan, oversaw his team defeating Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Lucknow Falcons at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow by 94 runs in the summit clash.

Three-time champions KKR urged to make Rinku Singh the captain (HT_PRINT)

Speaking to the broadcaster, Raina said that KKR should invest in Rinku and give him some matches as the captain. In the 2026 edition, Rinku was the franchise's vice-captain and Ajinkya Rahane's deputy.

But since Rahane has retired from international and IPL cricket, KKR are now in the hunt for a new captain. The franchise has been linked with Hardik Pandya; however, nothing concrete has emerged regarding this high-profile rumoured trade.

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"Firstly, congratulations to Captain Rinku Singh. This is the fourth season of the UP T20 League, and they are playing in the fourth final," Raina said on the sidelines of the UPT20 League final.

“KKR is looking for a captain, but I think the franchise has finally gotten its captain. Invest a little in him, give him some matches, and you never know,” he added.

All you need to know about the UPT20 League final

Rinku had little to contribute with the bat, but Meerut Mavericks still produced a dominant performance in the 2026 UPT20 League final, cruising to a commanding 94-run victory.

Leading the side from the front throughout the tournament, Rinku walked in at No. 5 but could stay at the crease for only two deliveries. Opening batter Divyansh Joshi took charge of the innings with a blistering century, smashing 105 from only 40 deliveries. His explosive knock powered Meerut to an imposing 203/7 from their allotted 20 overs.

The Falcons were never able to mount a serious chase. The pressure of a 204-run target proved overwhelming as their batting lineup collapsed for 109 in 16 overs, handing Meerut a comprehensive victory.

The triumph capped an impressive campaign for Rinku as captain. He led Meerut in 10 matches during the 2026 UPT20 League and guided them to nine wins.

Speaking of Rinku’s association with KKR, it dates back to the 2018 IPL season, and the franchise has remained his only IPL home. Across 73 appearances in the tournament, the 28-year-old has accumulated 1,394 runs. He also enjoyed a productive 2026 IPL campaign, finishing as KKR’s leading run-scorer. Rinku’s reputation, however, was built on one of the most dramatic finishes in IPL history. During the 2023 season, he smashed Gujarat Titans pacer Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes in the final five balls to pull off a stunning victory for KKR at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

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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