‘Appoint Rinka Singh as captain’: Former KKR India cricketer’s advice ahead of IPL 2027 auction
With Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing the task of finding a new captain ahead of the IPL 2027 season, former India batsman Aakash Chopra has thrown his weight behind Rinka Singh as a potential successor to Ajinkya Rahane.The three-time champions will have to identify a new leader after Rahane’s retirement. KKR, who failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, are also gearing up for a retention deadline on November 17 before heading to the auction.Chopra believes Rinku should be held responsible if the franchise fails to find a suitable captain in the auction. Rather than depending on overseas options, he feels KKR should back their Indian batsman, who has already served as vice-captain and led his side in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League.“Make Rinka captain. You made him vice-captain, right? So make him captain now. He’s leading his side in the UPT20. Sometimes you have to throw people in the deep end and see what happens.”“So this is the opportunity if they don’t find someone in the auction. If they don’t find someone, instead of looking at overseas players, I will go to Rink,” Chopra said on JioStar.Chopra also identified two expensive overseas players whom KKR could consider releasing to significantly boost their auction purse. All-rounder Cameron Green, bought for Rs 25.2 crore, and fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, whose price tag is Rs 18 crore, were the two names he picked.
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Share an opinionHe expressed concerns about Green’s availability, especially with upcoming international commitments, including the World Cup and Ashes, which could affect his participation in the IPL.“I want to drop Cameron Green for Rs 25.2 crore. It’s a World Cup year and an Ashes year, so I’m not sure about his availability or the number of matches he’ll play.”“If you release him, even if you feel like buying him back, you can easily get him for 50 per cent cheaper. Second, Matheesha Pathirana is also not playing, so that’s another Rs 18 crore buy. KKR will probably enter this auction with the most money, so it will be a big story,” he said.Chopra also highlighted the uncertainty surrounding Mustafizur Rahman and said that KKR should consider retaining the Bangladeshi pacer if he is available for the tournament.“We also don’t know what will happen with Mustafizur Rahman. If he is available and can play, would you want to keep him, but can he play? We don’t know about that. If he can play, I would still keep him because you already have Rs 43 crore surplus with these two versions,” he added.The former India opener also questioned the value of retaining Ramandeep Singh and Umran Malik, pointing out that neither player has been given enough opportunities during IPL 2026.Ramandeep, who comes with a price tag of Rs 4 crore, has not been used regularly, according to Chopra. He felt KKR could put the money to better use if an all-rounder does not feature in their plans.“I’m a bit worried about Ramandeep Singh personally at four crore. He’s not being used at all so that’s my area of concern. If I don’t play him and he’s not doing well, then do I want to go elsewhere?“I know it’s only 4 million rupees, but that money can be put to better use. The other player is Umran Malik. Have they released him? He’s only got 75 million rupees, but they’re not playing him. If they’re not playing him, then for Umran’s sake, I’ll say I’ll let him go.”“You just feel for the lad because he has the upper hand, so why make him sit on the bench? If you can’t play him and Harshit is available, let him go play somewhere else.”