Who will lead KKR in IPL 2027? Presenting the candidates
What's the story
With Ajinkya Rahane's retirement, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are on the lookout for a new captain for the 2027 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Unless an experienced leader is acquired during the trade window or IPL auction later this year, KKR will have to appoint a skipper from their current squad. Here are three potential candidates for the role.
#1
Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh, who was appointed as KKR's vice-captain ahead of IPL 2026, is the top contender to succeed Rahane.
Despite not having much experience at the highest level, Rinku has shown his leadership potential in domestic cricket.
He led Meerut Mavericks to the UPT20 title in 2024 and a runners-up finish in 2025.
He has also been leading Uttar Pradesh in List A cricket.
Notably, Rinku has only played for KKR since his IPL debut in 2018.
Across 73 matches, he has scored 1,394 runs at 34. His strike rate is 145.96.
#2
Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine could be a good pick if KKR are looking for a makeshift captain.
The veteran all-rounder has been with the franchise since 2012 and is one of its most influential players.
With 207 wickets at an economy of 6.78, he is also the highest wicket-taker among overseas bowlers in IPL history.
Even though he has never captained KKR, he has had captaincy stints in tournaments like International League T20 and Major Cricket League.
Though Narine is 38, he has been showing no signs of slowing down.
#3
Hardik Pandya
There have been reports of Hardik Pandya's departure from Mumbai Indians (MI).
If this happens to be true, KKR should be among the top teams to acquire his services via a trade.
Though Pandya has not enjoyed fruitful returns as the MI skipper, he powered Gujarat Titans to back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023.
With 2,955 runs at a strike rate of 146.28 and 82 wickets at an economy of 9.35 under his belt, Pandya is among the top all-rounders in IPL history.