IPL 2026: Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has advised Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane to draw inspiration from Virat Kohli's mastery against spin, citing the RCB star's transformative approach as a model to emulate in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Kaif pointed out that Kohli has reinvented his game by expanding his stroke repertoire and adopting a more attacking mindset, suggesting that Rahane could silence his critics by following a similar strategy.
"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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Rahane showed promise but struggled to convert starts into substantial scores, with his incapacity to overpower spin-heavy attacks a persistent concern.
"Rahane got the team off to a good start 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.
Kaif also questioned Rahane's captaincy, suggesting Rinku Singh as a potential future leader, praising his ability to deliver in crunch situations.
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"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.