BREAKING: Rinku Singh Named KKR Vice-Captain For IPL 2026, Becomes Ajinkya Rahane’s Deputy at Shah Rukh Khan’s Franchise

Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed Rinku Singh as vice-captain for IPL 2026, with the 28-year-old set to play the role of deputy to skipper Ajinkya Rahane. The decision, announced at the ‘Knights Unplugged’ event in Eden Gardens, marks a leadership shift after Venkatesh Iyer’s exit, with Rinku emerging as a key figure in KKR’s new core.

Has Rinku Singh ever captained in T20 cricket?

Rinku first played in IPL in 2018 and has been with the Knight Riders ever since. The left-handed batter was in the fringes for a long time but announced himself in the 2023 edition against the Gujarat Titans. With 29 runs required off the final over, the Aligarh-born cricketer stunned the Titans by hammering five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal’s bowling at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. That season saw him aggregate 474 runs in 14 appearances at 59.25 alongside a strike rate of 149.52. It proved to be Rinku’s turning point in IPL and earned him an India call-up.

The following edition in 2024 saw Rinku become a part of the Knight Riders’ winning squad.

Kolkata Knight Riders finalise Ajinkya Rahane as captain

Meanwhile, the Knight Riders have finalised Ajinkya Rahane as their captain ahead of IPL 2026 despite a poor season as skipper last year. Although the Knight Riders had started the season as defending champions, they failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing at eighth spot. Nevertheless, Rahane will continue as captain.

The biggest talking point is whether the three-time champions can bring the best out of all-rounder Cameron Green, who fetched ₹25.20 in the auction, making him the most expensive overseas player in the IPL auction history. They are also waiting on an update on Matheesha Pathirana, who is yet to receive a clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for his participation. The right-arm speedster, who has previously played for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fetched ₹18 crore from the auction. With Akash Deep also ruled out, Kolkata had named Vidarbha seamer Saurabh Dubey as his replacement. Nevertheless, the replacement for Harshit Rana is yet to be named.

Kolkata will kick off their campaign against the Mumbai Indians on March 29, Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium. Due to the state elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the BCCI has announced the schedule only for first 20 games.

Also Read: BREAKING: Rinku Singh Named KKR Vice-Captain For IPL 2026, Becomes Ajinkya Rahane’s Deputy at Shah Rukh Khan’s Franchise