IPL 2026: Rinku Singh named vice captain of Kolkata Knight Riders
Rinku Singh has been a part of KKR since 2018 (Image Source: X)
Published - 24 Mar 2026, 06:54 PM• Read time - 2 mins
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced Rinku Singh as their new vice-captain ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026). Rinku will serve as the deputy to Ajinkya Rahane in the upcoming season, who will continue as the leader of the franchise.
Rinku has been a part of KKR since 2018 and has played 59 matches for the franchise, scoring 1099 runs at an average of 30.52 and a strike rate of 145.17 with four half-centuries to his name. KKR CEO Venky Mysore announced Rinku as the vice-captain of the franchise during an event ahead of the upcoming season.
"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 Venky Mysore at Knights Unplugged 3.0 event held in Kolkata.
Rinku was retained for Rs 13 crore ahead of the upcoming season and has risen in stature over the past four years. After a few underwhelming seasons at KKR, Rinku rose to the limelight when he smashed Yash Dayal for five successive sixes to register an improbable win for his team during the 2023 edition.
KKR begin IPL 2026 campaign vs Mumbai Indians
He finished the season with 474 runs from 14 innings at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52 with four fifties to his name. His blockbuster performance paved the way for his India debut the same year, and the southpaw has played two ODIs and 45 T20Is so far. He was also a part of India's recent T20 World Cup 2026 winning team.
Meanwhile, KKR will look to put up an improved performance in the upcoming season, having finished last edition at eighth spot with 12 points. They begin their campaign on March 29 against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
