S Badrinath has labelled KKR captain captain Ajinkya Rahane a “weak link” in the team.© BCCI
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter S Badrinath has labelled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane a “weak link” in the team ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, starting March 28. With less than 10 days remaining before KKR’s tournament opener against Mumbai Indians (MI), Badrinath has cast uncertainty over the three-time champions’ campaign. The two-time IPL winner did not mince words, criticizing KKR’s overall management alongside the team’s mounting injury concerns.
“Ajinkya Rahane is definitely a weakness. His captaincy itself is a weak link. All their big investments have gone wrong. They trusted Harshit Rana and invested in him, but he is ruled out. Pathirana was a huge signing, and now he’s doubtful. Mustafizur was another big investment, and he is ruled out. They’ve taken many costly decisions as there is uncertainty over most of their big investments,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
Badrinath also criticised the franchise for ‘breaking the bank’ on all-rounder Cameron Green, who was roped in for a record-breaking Rs 25.20 crore. Highlighting Green’s recent struggles for Australia, the former CSK star labeled the acquisition a ‘bad move’ driven by hype rather than proven IPL impact.
“You’ve signed him for Rs 25.20 crore, and he is woefully out of form. He struggled massively for Australia in the T20 World Cup. Cameron Green went for so much purely because of the hype. He is not worth that much. Has he singlehandedly done anything in the IPL? Australian players always get hyped up, and he benefited from that. I believe it was a bad move by KKR,” he added.
The three-time champions will begin their IPL 2026 fixture against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The IPL has announced the schedule only for the first two weeks of the tournament in 2026, which is to be played from March 28 to April 12.