Kris Srikkanth has advised the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to give skipper Ajinkya Rahane ‘one or two chances more’ and sack him from captaincy if the franchise’s situation in IPL 2026 doesn’t improve. The former India selector believes all-rounder Sunil Narine, 37, would be a good replacement option.
Rahane is under increasing pressure as KKR have failed to win a single match from their first five in the season — the only time it has happened in their storied history. Since taking over, Rahane has the worst win percentage for any KKR skipper, while his selectively effective batting has only complicated the issue.
“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,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. “Rahane should come into bat only if necessary. Else let him only captain the side. He shouldn’t bat in the middle. 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?”
KKR’s vice-captain for the IPL 2026 season is Rinku Singh and would have been a leading contender to take the job from Rahane. But the left-hander hasn’t helped himself because of his poor form — 78 runs in four innings so far with a strike-rate of only 120.
What changes should KKR make?
Srikkanth suggested that KKR drop opener Finn Allen and all-rounder Cameron Green to balance the side. He mentioned selecting Matheesha Pathirana but he has yet to join the team.
“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.
