Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif urged Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane to take a leaf out of Virat Kohli’s book, highlighting how the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star transformed his game against spin to silence critics.
Kaif pointed out that Kohli, who was once questioned about his strike rate against spin, responded by expanding his stroke range and adopting a more aggressive approach. According to Kaif, Rahane needs to undergo a similar evolution if he is to remain effective in the fast-changing demands of T20 cricket.
Read the full story
“Virat Kohli was in a similar situation. His strike rate was going down against the spinners. He shut everyone’s mouth by attacking the spinners and coming up with new shots. Rahane has just hit against the spinners. He needs to work on his power to hit the ground. He needs to increase the range of the shots against the spinners like Virat Kohli has done and Rahan has also learned everyone,” Kaif said.
Rahane, who led Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous season, showed flashes of form but he couldn’t turn starts into winning performances. Kaif highlighted that the veteran’s inability to cross the 30- and 40-second mark remains a problem, especially against spin attacks.
“Rahane started the team well last season. If you look at the whole campaign, he scored around 30-40 in almost every match, but he didn’t have a single Man of the Match award. So the question mark is still there for Rahane. The 30s and 40s are fine, but he will get there once the spinners come,” he added.
Kaif also raised questions about Rahane’s appointment as captain, suggesting that the decision was apparently taken late in the auction. He suggested that KKR may have initially considered a long-term lead before eventually turning to Rahane’s experience.
Looking ahead, Kaif has endorsed Rinku Singh as a potential future captain of the franchise. The left-handed batsman, who has been a regular for KKR over the years, has been praised for his ability to deliver in high-pressure situations.
“It’s time for KKR to bring up Rinka Singh as their future captain. He is an all-format player. Even if he doesn’t play Test cricket for India, he can contribute across formats. I belong to UP and know his contribution to the state team. Many batsmen contribute with the bat, but his runs have been the winning ones. He is ready,” Kaif said.
Notably, the three-time IPL champions named the explosive batter Rinku Singh as their vice-captain for IPL 2026underlining the long-term plans of the franchise management.
Rinku will assist skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who has remained as captain despite KKR’s disappointing IPL 2025 campaign.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
25 March 2026 10:18 IST
