Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane (PTI Photo) Former India batsman Aakash Chopra believes Ajinkya Rahane has to prove himself heading into IPL 2026, especially in addressing lingering doubts about his play outside the powerplay.Rahane led Kolkata Knight Riders from the front with the bat in IPL 2025 and finished as their top scorer. He amassed 390 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 147.72. Despite those numbers, questions remained about his ability to sustain the scoring momentum once the fielding restrictions were lifted, especially against the spin that many felt slowed KKR down at key stages.
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IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan steals the show at the captains’ meetChopra admitted on his YouTube channel that he was one of those who questioned Rahane’s effectiveness after the powerplay. However, he also sees the upcoming season as a chance for the KKR skipper to silence these complaints.“There are a lot of opportunities. Maybe Ajinkya Rahane because I’m one of those guys who was a bit critical about him having to play in the power bowl because his role will be extremely limited after that, but you can prove me wrong,” Chopra said.“It’s an opportunity. Not that you need to prove me wrong. Why would you even bother with it? But if you score a lot of runs in the power play and after that, it’s a great opportunity for you,” he added.Chopra further pointed to the story of KKR’s dependence on Gautam Gambhir, with some suggesting that the franchise is struggling to succeed without his influence as a player or mentor. He believes Rahane now has the platform to counter that perception by leading the team to the title.In the same discussion, Chopra highlighted the growing importance of Rinku Singh within the setting. Rinku, who currently serves as the vice-captain, could emerge as a leadership contender if he performs consistently this season.“Rinku Singh is the vice-captain. He could be a potential captain by next season. So there could be a huge role for him. He is always made to bat up the order. This time he might get an opportunity to bat slightly up the order and he might flourish,” Chopra said.Chopra also turned his attention to Varun Chakaravarthy, stating that IPL 2026 offers him a chance to rediscover his wicket-taking rhythm.“It’s time for Varun Chakaravarthy to once again make people recognize his superiority as the last four matches at the World Cup have been extremely cold. He needs to get back to his defending,” he noted.Varun ended the 2026 T20 World Cup as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 9.25. While he started the tournament strongly with nine wickets in India’s first four matches, his impact waned later, managing just five scalps in the remaining games while conceding runs at a higher pace.
