Rinku Singh has been appointed vice captain of KKR

In an indication of the team’s long-term leadership goals, the three-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders named explosive batsman Rinku Singh as their vice-captain for IPL 2026 on Tuesday.

Despite KKR’s dismal IPL 2025 campaign, Ajinkya Rahane has been kept as captain, and Rinku will support him. “Rinku Singh will work very closely with skipper Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said during the team’s ‘Knights Unplugged 3.0’ event here.

Head coach Abhishek Nayar supported the move, stating that Rinku’s development within the team made him an obvious fit for a leadership position. From being selected for Rs 80 lakh in 2018 to being retained for Rs 13 crore ahead of IPL 2025, Rinku’s ascent has been one of the most amazing tales in IPL history.He became well-known after hitting five straight sixes in a final-over chase, which accelerated his call-up to India and solidified his status as one of the best finishers in the league.

Rahane and Rinku were called to the platform together, but Rinku received the biggest applause from the audience. Many even chanted “captain kore dao Rinku (make Rinku the captain),” demonstrating his enormous popularity.

Rahane lavished praise on the left-hander’s rise and influence within the team and said after their Bollywood super star owner Shah Rukh Khan, Rinku Singh comes to mind when someone thinks of KKR.

“I’m really happy to see Rinku as vice-captain. Really happy for him. I’ve seen his growth throughout the years.

“Rinku started his journey eight years back. To see him achieve so many things makes everyone happy, not just me. Every person in the dressing room is really happy. He has just won the (T20) World Cup and has also gone through tough times. Watching Rinku practise really hard day in and day out really motivates us.

“The attitude he brings is really fantastic. I believe when KKR’s name comes up, you always think of Shah Rukh Khan sir — and after Shah Rukh Khan sir, it’s Rinku Singh,” Rahane said.

“Kaafi achha lag raha hai. Aap ne mujhe mauka diya hai vice-captain banne ka. I was part of the World Cup-winning team. Every player has a dream to play for India and win the World Cup, so that dream has been fulfilled.” Addressing the fans, the 28-year-old Rinku urged continued support as the franchise looks to bounce back strongly this season.

“Just want to say: Keep supporting us in good and bad times. We have a very good squad this time. We will try to do better and have the trophy in our hands this time,” Rinku said.

With the exception of the three injured players, Akash Deep, Matheesha Pathirana, and Harshit Rana, the complete team and support personnel were present. Due to an injury, Akash Deep will not play in the 2026 Indian Premier League.

On Wednesday, the team will depart for Mumbai, where they will play their first game on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium against the Mumbai Indians.Despite leading KKR’s scoring charts with 390 runs the previous season, Rahane, 37, was unable to stop the team from finishing ninth with just five victories in 14 games (two of which were abandoned) during their championship defense—their lowest performance since 2009.