'Throw people in at the deep end': Aakash Chopra suggests Rinku Singh as new KKR skipper

The IPL 2027 retention deadline is November 17, with the mini-auction set to take place on December 16 in Goa. Ahead of the mini-auction, the biggest question franchises face is whom to let go and whom to keep, while Kolkata Knight Riders, three-time IPL champions, have an additional problem of finding a skipper. KKR had Ajinkya Rahane as skipper, but he retired recently, leaving them without a captain again. Former India batter Aakash Chopra, meanwhile, has suggested that Rinku Singh be given the captaincy of the franchise.

Aakash Chopra suggests new skipper for KKR

"Appoint Rinku as the captain. You made him the vice-captain, right? Then have him as the captain now. He leads his side in the UPT20. Sometimes you have to throw people in at the deep end and see what happens. So, this is that opportunity, unless they can find somebody at the auction. If they can't find anyone, rather than looking at overseas players, I'll actually go towards Rinku," said Chopra while talking on JioStar.

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Rinku's rise with KKR in IPL

Rinku was first bought by Punjab Kings in 2017 but didn't get a game. He joined KKR in 2018 but had to wait till 2022 before becoming a permanent fixture in their squad. After playing seven matches in IPL 2022, he went on to play 14 in IPL 2023 and scored 474 runs at a strike rate of 149. It was also in IPL 2023 that he hit Gujarat Titans bowler Yash Dayal for five sixes in a row in the last over to take KKR home in a game that was beyond them by all means.

Overall, Rinku has played 73 matches in the IPL, all for KKR, and scored 1,394 runs in 62 innings played at a strike rate of 146 with six fifties and a highest score of 83 not out.