Kolkata Knight Riders are enduring a miserable start to IPL 2026. Under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy, the franchise has yet to register a win, and their tally currently rests on a single point earned from a match versus Punjab Kings that ended without a result due to rain. With the team stuck near the foot of the standings and growing dissatisfaction among supporters and cricket observers, pressure has intensified on both the playing group and the management. Even though Kolkata have played just five matches so far, the side has already altered its batting and selection decisions multiple times, including a change in Rahane’s position in the order during their most recent game against Chennai Super Kings.
As scrutiny mounts, former India batter Kris Srikkanth has urged KKR to consider moving on from Rahane as captain if performances do not improve. Ahead of Kolkata’s upcoming encounter against Gujarat Titans on Friday, Srikkanth suggested that the skipper should be allowed only one or two additional opportunities to prove his form and impact. He also pointed to Rahane’s struggling numbers: the veteran has managed 152 runs in IPL 2026 so far, but his strike rate after the powerplay has reportedly dropped sharply, making it harder for the team to accelerate in the later stages.
Srikkanth’s message was direct: if Rahane continues to disappoint, the former India great believes Sunil Narine should be given the captaincy role, potentially even in the middle portion of the season. In his view, Rahane’s responsibilities should be rethought immediately—either he bats only when the situation requires it, or he remains captain without being pushed into a role that isn’t working with the bat. Srikkanth also questioned the decision to appoint Rahane as captain in the first place, adding that the bigger issue is whether the franchise has the courage to make a decisive call and drop him if the problems persist.
Beyond the leadership debate, Srikkanth recommended additional adjustments to Kolkata’s XI. He argued that KKR should consider opening with New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra, and he also called for changes elsewhere in the batting lineup. His suggested reshuffle included dropping Finn Allen and Cameron Green, while bringing in Rachin Ravindra and Pathirana. In that scenario, he felt Ravindra and Rahane could form the opening combination, with the overall balance improving for the team.
Srikkanth further took aim at the team’s broader structure, saying that the coaching and support setup appears more impressive on paper than the performances produced on the field. He then turned his attention to Rinku Singh, who has been finding it difficult to contribute at number five for KKR. Srikkanth’s criticism extended to the bowling unit as well, claiming that aside from Kartik Tyagi, the attack has looked notably underwhelming in the early phase of the tournament.
According to Srikkanth, Vaibhav Arora has been conceding heavily—citing an example of giving away 55 runs in his spell of four overs—and he questioned what KKR intends to do with him as a frontline strike option. Regarding Rinku, he said the batter has not been scoring consistently, and argued that the role at five may not be the right fit for him. Srikkanth maintained that if the team needs around 40 runs from the final three or four overs, Rinku could potentially be used to chase that type of target, but otherwise he struggled to justify the position in the batting order. He wrapped up by stating that Kartik Tyagi is the one performer in the current bowling group doing well, while the rest of the unit has failed to create enough impact.
