As IPL 2026 approaches, former CSK player S Badrinath has expressed concerns about Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain, Ajinkya Rahane, labeling him a “weak link” for the team. With less than ten days until KKR kicks off their season against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Badrinath’s criticism extends to the team’s mounting injury issues and management decisions. He stated, “Ajinkya Rahane certainly poses a challenge. His leadership has proven to be a weak point. The franchise’s key investments have largely backfired. They put their faith in Harshit Rana, who is now out, and the much-anticipated Pathirana is also doubtful. Mustafizur’s absence adds to their woes. Many of their high-stakes decisions are clouded with uncertainty regarding these players.”
Badrinath also took a jab at KKR’s hefty investment in all-rounder Cameron Green, who was acquired for Rs 25.20 crore. He described this acquisition as a “poor decision” driven more by media hype than actual performance in the IPL, referencing Green’s struggles with the Australian team. “They signed him for Rs 25.20 crore while he is currently out of form. His performance during the T20 World Cup was far from impressive. The hype surrounding Australian players often skews their market value, and Green seems to have benefitted from that. It was a miscalculation on KKR’s part,” he further elaborated.
KKR is set to launch their IPL campaign against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on March 29. The initial round of IPL matches will take place from March 28 to April 12. KKR last claimed the IPL title in 2024.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad for IPL 2026 includes: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rovman Powell, Blessing Muzarabani, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahul Tripathi, Manish Pandey, Akash Deep, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, Anukul Roy, Tejasvi Singh, Prashant Solanki, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra.