'He is the kind of character you need' – Aakash Chopra picks Rinku Singh as KKR captain

Aakash Chopra, the former India player, has backed Rinku Singh to become Kolkata Knight Riders' captain for IPL 2027. Chopra's endorsement comes as KKR seeks a new leader following Ajinkya Rahane's retirement from all formats in July 2026.

The franchise had handed Rinku the vice-captaincy ahead of IPL 2026 as part of his leadership development.

"I had said this earlier as well. I said this last year as well. I had said this after going to Kolkata as well. This question was asked in many places that who should be KKR's next captain, whether they should continue with Ajinkya Rahane, and, if not Ajinkya, then who. I was constantly saying that the guy is ready and sitting with you," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"Rinku Singh is ready. Rinku Singh has captaincy experience. Rinku Singh is slightly underrated for sure, but he is the kind of character you need as a captain. He takes everyone along. He is kind of unassuming. He is a match-winner, performer, and contributor," he added.

Rinku's leadership experience and credentials

Chopra feels the three-time champions are likely to go shopping for a new captain at the IPL 2027 auction. With Hardik Pandya’s potential trade still uncertain, he believes appointing Rinku Singh as captain would be a better option than turning to an overseas player.

"He is the guy around whose shoulders you can keep your arm, explain things, and have a conversation. So, in my humble opinion, Rinku Singh should be made the captain because KKR will go shopping for a captain," Chopra said.

"They might get a foreign captain because now I am not 100 percent certain about Hardik Pandya's trade being true. So if you don't get a captain at all, you will have to go overseas, unless, of course, you are thinking about Rinku Singh, and if I am KKR, I will think of Rinku because Rinku hai taiyaar," he added.

Rinku has demonstrated leadership credentials across multiple formats and competitions. He has captained Uttar Pradesh in List A cricket since replacing Bhuvneshwar Kumar ahead of the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Rinku also led Meerut Mavericks to the UPT20 title on September 6, 2026, and has captained the side across two seasons, winning 13 of 18 matches. The 28-year-old has scored 1,394 runs in 73 IPL matches since his debut in 2018.