NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has flagged concerns over Rinku Singh’s form ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, stating that his dip in performances could be a key issue for Kolkata Knight Riders to address.KKR begin their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on March 29. Rinku heads into the season under scrutiny after a disappointing T20 World Cup, where he managed just 24 runs in five innings.
The left-hander’s struggles come after a remarkable breakthrough in IPL 2023, highlighted by his unforgettable five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal during a 200-plus chase against Gujarat Titans — an innings that catapulted him to stardom.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan reflected on the decline in Rinku’s returns since that standout season and his inability to make the most of opportunities at the World Cup.“We will have to see how much opportunity he gets to play. His 2023 season was outstanding. He scored 400-450 runs with a strike rate of 150. But after that, his performance dipped, and many times he did not get enough opportunities. He will have to maintain his standard and maximise the opportunities he gets. Even in the World Cup, he played five matches, but he could not fully capitalise on the chances he got. This is another problem that Kolkata needs to rectify, and Rinku Singh is one of them,” he said.Rinku had enjoyed a stellar 2023 campaign, scoring 474 runs in 14 innings at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52, including four fifties. Since then, however, his numbers have dipped, with 374 runs in 22 innings at an average of 23.37, and a highest score of 38*.Pathan also pointed out that managing Varun Chakravarthy’s form would be another challenge for KKR. The mystery spinner started the T20 World Cup strongly, picking up nine wickets in four group-stage matches at an economy rate of just over five, but saw a sharp decline later, managing only five wickets in five matches from the Super Eight stage to the final, with his economy rate rising significantly.Despite the dip, Pathan backed Varun to bounce back and deliver in familiar conditions.“The challenge is how to bring Varun back with confidence given his current dip in form. He will play 14 matches, some of which will be at Kolkata’s ground, and he has definitely performed well in this league before. With the good memories he has in Kolkata, perhaps in a slightly different atmosphere, he might perform even better. I believe he will manage it, so although this is a challenge, Varun Chakaravarthy will overcome it,” said Pathan.Last season, Varun finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, with best figures of 3/22. Overall, he has claimed 99 wickets in 83 matches for KKR, including two four-wicket hauls, with best figures of 5/20.
