'Virat Kohli was in a similar situation...': Ajinkya Rahane advised to learn from former RCB captain

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has advised Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane to learn from Virat Kohli, especially when it comes to handling spin bowling.

Mohammad Kaif's advice to Ajinkya Rahane

Kaif explained that Kohli once faced criticism for his slow strike rate against spinners, but he worked on his game, added new shots, and started attacking them more confidently. He believes Rahane needs to make a similar change to stay relevant in modern T20 cricket.

"Virat Kohli was in a similar situation. His strike rate was going down against spinners. He shut everyone's mouth by attacking the spinners and inventing new shots. Rahane just has the slog sweep against spinners. He needs to work on his power-hitting down the ground. He has to increase his range of shots against spinners, as Virat Kohli has done. Virat Kohli has set a great example for everyone, and Rahane can also learn from it," Kaif said.

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Where Rahane lacked in IPL 2025?

Rahane had a decent season as captain last year, often giving his team good starts. However, Kaif pointed out that he couldn’t convert those starts into big, match-winning innings, which is still a concern, especially when facing spin-heavy bowling attacks.

"Rahane got the team off to good starts last season. If you look at the entire campaign, he scored around 30-40 in almost every match, but he did not have a single Man of the Match award. So, that question mark is still there with Rahane. 30s and 40s are fine, but he gets out as soon as the spinners come in," he added.

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Kaif questioned KKR's decision to appoint Rahane as their captain

Kaif also questioned how Rahane became captain, suggesting that the decision may have been made late during the auction. It seemed like the team might have been looking for a long-term captain before choosing Rahane for his experience.

Rinku could be a strong future captain for KKR

Looking ahead, Kaif feels Rinku Singh could be a strong future captain for KKR. He praised Rinku for performing well under pressure and consistently contributing to winning matches.

"It is time for KKR to groom Rinku Singh as their future captain. He is an all-format player. Although he doesn't play Test cricket for India, he can contribute across formats. I belong to UP, and I know about his contribution to the state team. Many batters contribute with the bat, but his runs have come in winning causes. He is ready," Kaif said.

KKR seem to be thinking along similar lines, as they have already made Rinku Singh the vice-captain for IPL 2026. He will support Ajinkya Rahane, who continues as captain despite the team’s poor performance in IPL 2025.