Former Indian cricketer and analyst Aakash Chopra has raised significant questions about the batting lineup of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) following the IPL 2026 auction. While praising their formidable bowling unit, Chopra expressed concerns about potential weaknesses in the middle order, especially when factoring in an overseas wicketkeeper.
Chopra's Big Question: The Overseas Conundrum
In a detailed breakdown on his YouTube channel on December 27, 2025, Aakash Chopra pinpointed the selection of four overseas players as the core dilemma for KKR. "A topic of discussion would be which four overseas would play. Among the four overseas, if they make a keeper-batter open, who will bat in the lower order? That is a big question," Chopra stated. He noted that KKR has traditionally used a keeper-opener and now has options like Tim Seifert and Finn Allen.
He outlined one possible combination: opening with Ajinkya Rahane and an overseas keeper, followed by Cameron Green at number three. However, he felt the subsequent order of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and Tejasvi Singh lacked firepower. "It's not sounding that great to me. Your middle order looks slightly cold," he observed.
A Proposed Solution: Reshuffling the Top Order
Chopra then suggested an alternative setup that he believes creates a stronger team. His proposal involves promoting the experienced Sunil Narine to open alongside Rahane, with Cameron Green remaining at number three.
For the crucial wicketkeeping role, he suggested two paths: either using Angkrish Raghuvanshi as a keeper at number four or handing the gloves to Tejasvi Singh. This would allow Rinku Singh to bat at five, followed by Ramandeep Singh and the powerful Rovman Powell. "How is it looking now? It looks a better team. You can use Tejasvi if required. If you don't need him, you can get Anukul Roy," Chopra explained, highlighting the flexibility this combination offers.
Bowling Strength: A Silver Lining
Despite the batting concerns, Aakash Chopra was unequivocal in his praise for KKR's bowling arsenal assembled for IPL 2026. He emphasized that their bowling depth has increased substantially.
"They already had 16 overs of bowling. They now have 22-23 overs of bowling," he said, referring to their core Indian bowlers like Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakaravarthy. He added that overs from all-rounder Cameron Green and specialist pacers like Matheesha Pathirana or Mustafizur Rahman make it a "gun bowling unit."
The full KKR squad for IPL 2026 includes a mix of retained stars and new acquisitions, presenting captain Shreyas Iyer and the team management with multiple options but also the tricky challenge of finding the perfect balance between a robust batting order and their explosive bowling attack.
