It has been a grim start to IPL 2026 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), with the three-time champions still searching for their first win in the tournament’s 19th season. After five outings, KKR remain unbeaten by any opponent, and the most recent setback arrived on Tuesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated them by 32 runs. The result leaves KKR rooted to the foot of the points table with only one point to show.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane struggled to put a positive spin on another underwhelming display after the loss. Chasing 192, KKR fell well short, and their batting effort was widely disappointing. Finn Allen managed just 1 run, Sunil Narine made 24, and Rinku Singh contributed 6. Rahane, at least, offered some resistance with 28 runs off 22 balls, but even that could not prevent CSK from taking control. The turning point came when Noor Ahmed dismissed Rahane, a breakthrough that allowed CSK to pull the match firmly out of KKR’s grasp. Ultimately, the hosts sealed a comfortable win and leapfrogged ahead of the Mumbai Indians in the standings.
Rahane also spoke about the quality of KKR’s batting across phases. “No real momentum with the bat. Initially, with our batting, we just got 36 or 37 runs in the powerplay, I thought that was really important. The middle phase of hitting spinners was slightly challenging, but apart from that, the wicket was really good,” he said during his conversation with Ravi Shastri.
He further explained that KKR needed someone to stay at the crease longer and then accelerate late. “We needed one batter to bat deep and then take it in the end. I think, combination-wise, we had the one we used in the last game, and it was really good. I think it’s tough at the moment. Yes, we’re not winning matches, it’s tough. What is important for all of us as a group to stay positive, keep our heads up, keep our chins up, focus on the movement,” Rahane added.
After the defeat, Rahane indicated that KKR will reassess their approach before the next game, particularly the playing XI. “We’ll have to sit in the dressing room, think about the combination. We’ll have to make any changes. Sometimes you back the players if the results are going your way, then it’s okay. But if the results aren’t going your way, you’ll have to think about the combination. But apart from that, I thought it’s all about being positive and keeping our heads up,” he said.
Shastri, who had been discussing the captain’s comments on the combination, wrapped up the chat by urging patience. “Just be patient, and hopefully you’ll get the combination right,” he concluded.
How the match unfolded
The contest began with Rahane winning the toss and choosing to bowl first. CSK then posted 192/5 in their 20 overs, with Sanju Samson scoring 48 and Dewald Brevis contributing 41. At one stage, it appeared CSK could push into the upper 220s, but KKR’s bowlers staged a strong recovery in the final 10 overs to prevent any late surge.
Sunil Narine, Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy combined to execute their plans effectively during the finishing stretch, keeping CSK under pressure. “I thought with the ball we did really well. 190 on this wicket was really good, especially in the power play; they got 70-odd runs. After that, pulling back to 190 was an amazing job for our bowling unit,” Rahane said.
KKR’s chase unravelled almost immediately, even after a batting reshuffle that saw Sunil Narine promoted to open alongside Finn Allen. The two openers both departed early, and the innings never really gained momentum. With no batter able to create meaningful resistance, KKR were eventually restricted to 160/7, leaving them short of the target and handing CSK another win.
