Ajinkya Rahane named KKR captain; Young batter ordered to take up wicketkeeping in IPL 2026

Former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) may reshape their squad strategy ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that young Angkrish Raghuvanshi could be asked to keep the wickets, giving the franchise more flexibility in their lineup.

Kolkata Knight Riders made major changes to their squad before the IPL 2026 auction. They released several players, including both of their overseas wicketkeeper-batters, Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The three-time IPL champions retained only 12 players and have a purse of ₹64.30 crore left.

KKR now have the resources to rebuild almost half their squad. They can sign up to 13 players, including six overseas, at the mini auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The team has plenty of room to build the team’s balance.

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Angkrish Raghuvanshi Will Keep the Gloves - Sanjay Bangar’s Prediction on KKR

During an interaction on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar said that the Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to continue with Ajinkya Rahane as both their captain and top-order batter for IPL 2026. He noted that no stronger leadership option is expected to emerge from the auction.

"Rahane starts at the top of the order, and he would continue to lead the team because I don't see any other captaincy candidate coming into the auction," Bangar opined.

"They would certainly want to consider continuing with Ajinkya Rahane. Raghuvanshi, I believe that he will keep the gloves as well. So, in addition to his batting, they will make him a wicketkeeper-batter," he added.

Rovman Powell Clearly Comes in as the Finisher - Sanjay Bangar

Sanjay Bangar also shared that Rovman Powell could take over the powerful finisher’s role, given his similar big-hitting style. Bangar further said that Ramandeep Singh and Vaibhav Arora could serve as impact players depending on the situation.

"Powell, I think he clearly comes in in the finisher's slot. He has got that ability, similar sort of a role as Andre Russell. I see him slotting in quite nicely. Ramandeep and Vaibhav could be your impact players," Bangar observed.

I Don't Really Think So - Sanjay Bangar on Cameron Green

In the same interaction, the former Indian all-rounder said that Cameron Green is unlikely to be KKR’s main target for the No. 4 role in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. Bangar said that the franchise will focus on bringing back Venkatesh Iyer.

"At the moment, I don't really think so because I believe that they would want to buy back Venkatesh Iyer. Even though they got him at a very high valuation last season, they have a lot of faith in Venkatesh. In my view, he would take the slot at No. 4," he said.

Bangar also said that Rinku Singh might be used a little higher in the batting order next season. He questioned whether Cameron Green has shown enough in the IPL to justify being a major target for KKR.

Bangar believes KKR will aim to bring in a quality overseas fast bowler. He stated that Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is an ideal fit, saying his addition would significantly strengthen and diversify the team’s pace attack.

Also read: Pakistan head coach Azhar Mahmood sacked before contract ends; replacement yet to be finalized