With Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing the task of finding a new captain ahead of the IPL 2027 season, former India batter Aakash Chopra has thrown his weight behind Rinku Singh as a potential successor to Ajinkya Rahane.The three-time champions will need to identify a new leader following Rahane’s retirement. KKR, who failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, are also preparing for the retention deadline on November 17 before heading into the auction.Chopra believes Rinku should be handed the responsibility if the franchise fails to find a suitable captain in the auction. Rather than depending on an overseas option, he feels KKR should back their Indian batter, who has already served as vice-captain and led his side in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League.“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,” Chopra said on JioStar.Chopra also identified two expensive overseas players whom KKR could consider releasing to significantly strengthen their purse for the auction. All-rounder Cameron Green, bought for Rs 25.2 crore, and fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, whose price tag is Rs 18 crore, were the two names he singled out.He raised concerns over Green’s availability, particularly with the upcoming international commitments, including the World Cup and the Ashes, potentially affecting his participation in the IPL.“I am looking to leave out Cameron Green at Rs 25.2 crores. It’s a World Cup year, and it’s an Ashes year, so I am not sure about his availability or how many matches he will play.“If you release him, even if you feel like buying him back, you can easily get him for 50 per cent cheaper. Secondly, Matheesha Pathirana is also not playing, so that’s another Rs 18 crore buy. KKR are likely to walk into this auction with the most amount of money, so that will be the big story,” he said.Chopra also brought up the uncertainty surrounding Mustafizur Rahman, saying KKR should consider retaining the Bangladesh pacer if he is available to feature in the tournament.“We also don’t know what is going to happen with Mustafizur Rahman. If he is available and can play, you would want to retain him, but can he play? We don’t know about that. If he can play, I would still have him retained because you already have a surplus of Rs 43 crore with those two releases,” he added.The former India opener also questioned the value of retaining Ramandeep Singh and Umran Malik, pointing out that neither player received enough opportunities during IPL 2026.Ramandeep, who comes with a price tag of Rs 4 crore, has not been utilised regularly, according to Chopra. He felt KKR could put that money to better use if the all-rounder does not feature in their plans.“I’m slightly worried about Ramandeep Singh personally at four crores. He’s not getting utilised at all, so that is my area of concern. If I’m not going to play him and he’s not doing well, then do I want to go elsewhere?“I know that’s just Rs 4 crores, but that money can be utilised better. Another player is Umran Malik. Do they release him? He’s only for Rs 75 lakhs, but they don’t play him. If they’re not playing him, then for Umran’s sake, I’ll say release him.“You just feel for the boy, as he’s got the upside, so why make him sit on the bench? If you can’t play him and Harshit is available, then let the boy go and play somewhere else.”
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