Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth has recently expressed strong critical views regarding Ajinkya Rahane’s role as the captain and opening batter for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2026 IPL season. Srikkanth believes Rahane has become a "huge problem" for the team, suggesting he is only in the playing XI because of his captaincy.Srikkanth has repeatedly stated that Rahane is blocking the opening slot for more explosive players, such as Finn Allen or Tim Seifert.
He noted that Rahane can neither "smash the bowling" nor act as a "sheet anchor" effectively anymore, despite a surprising resurgence in 2023.Srikkanth famously quipped that Rahane's "quota of one good match per IPL season" was over early in the tournament, suggesting a lack of consistency.While critical of his opening, Srikkanth suggested that if he must play, he should move down to No. 4 to play a sheet anchor role rather than opening.
The 1983 World Cup winning star said, "Guys like Rahane are playing only because they are the captains. That's the problem. Rahane has been playing the IPL for so long since 2008. He's blocking the opening position. So, just playing one great knock will happen. I am not saying he should be dropped. Play him at No.4 and let him play the sheet anchor role."
Historically, Srikkanth’s views on Rahane have been more positive, particularly in the Test format. In 2020, he praised Rahane’s "calming influence" as a leader, especially after taking over from Virat Kohli during the successful Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign in Australia.
He previously advocated for Rahane’s inclusion in the Test side over other options like Rohit Sharma during overseas tours.
KKR’s disappointing start to IPL 2026
The Kolkata Knight Riders are currently enduring a challenging start to the IPL 2026 season, sitting at the bottom of the points table as of mid-April. In their four matches played so far, they have failed to secure a single victory, recording three losses and one "No Result" due to rain against the Punjab Kings. Their campaign began with a high-scoring defeat to the Mumbai Indians, followed by a heavy 65-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad and a last-ball thriller defeat against the Lucknow Super Giants.
Despite the team's struggles, individual performances from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who leads the scoring with 155 runs, and captain Ajinkya Rahane have been silver linings. The team currently holds just one point and a negative net run rate of -1.315, placing immense pressure on their upcoming fixture against the Chennai Super Kings to turn their season around.
The team is currently facing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) today, April 14, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in pursuit of their first victory of the season.
