Star India batter Rinku Singh will have a new role in the Kolkata Knight Riders as he has been appointed as vice-captain of the team ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026.
Rinku has been an integral part of the Knight Riders, having been associated with the franchise as he has been with the team since his debut in 2018. He has also been a crucial member of India's T20I team and was also part of the T20 World Cup 2026 winning squad. He will deputise Ajinkya Rahane at KKR.
The announcement came from KKR managing director Venky Mysore during a pre-season event on Tuesday. "On behalf of everyone in the franchise, we’re really delighted to announce that Rinku Singh will be the Vice-captain of the team. Rinku joined KKR in 2018, and has been a regular in the team ever since" said Mr. Venky Mysore, CEO, Kolkata Knight Riders, at Knights Unplugged 3.0 event held in Kolkata today.
KKR also posted the news on their social media. "God’s plan has a new chapter," KKR wrote on X.
KKR's IPL career in a nutshell
Rinku has made his name as a designated finisher in the KKR line-up. He is an indispensable player in the team and does the difficult job of finishing games in pressure situations.
He has played 59 IPL games in which he has made 1099 runs at 30.52 and at a strike rate of 145.17. His breakout IPL season was the 2023 one, when he scored 474 runs in 14 innings in his team's title win. One of the most memorable moments of the IPL came when he smashed five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal in the last five balls of the match to chase 30 in the final over.
KKR to kick off campaign against Mumbai Indians
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29 against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. They will then face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 2 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, followed by a match against Punjab Kings on April 6, also at Eden Gardens. Their fourth game will be against Lucknow Super Giants on April 9 at the same venue. These fixtures mark the start of KKR’s season, with the full schedule for the remaining matches expected to be announced by the BCCI soon.
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