Kolkata Knight Riders’ struggle for solid starts in IPL 2026 showed up again on Sunday against Lucknow Super Giants, with both Ajinkya Rahane and Tim Seifert departing early for the second consecutive time. KKR have repeatedly found it difficult to build partnerships this season, and the opening phase followed the same script as the top order failed to provide any meaningful platform.
Seifert was the first to fall, losing his wicket on the final ball of the second over. Mohsin Khan delivered a full ball swinging around the off stump, and Seifert tried to hit it straight. The ball was lofted to Mukul Choudhary at covers, and Seifert walked back for 0 off 3 deliveries, handing Mohsin a wicket-maiden over.
Rahane then followed quickly in the fourth over. Mohsin sent in a length delivery around the leg stump, and Rahane attempted to slog it across the line. The effort didn’t come off as hoped—pace was a problem, the timing was off, and the ball went straight to Aiden Markram at mid-off, who completed a safe catch. Rahane made 10 off 15 balls, including one six.
With the two openers gone in successive overs, Lucknow got the ideal platform in front of their home crowd. KKR’s opening partnerships across the tournament have been among the weakest, and the numbers underline that trend. Their Powerplay and opening stand totals in IPL 2026 read as follows: 69 against Mumbai Indians, 30 versus Sunrisers Hyderabad, 12 against Punjab Kings, 15 in their match against Lucknow Super Giants, 13 versus Chennai Super Kings, 5 versus Gujarat Titans, 0 versus Rajasthan Royals, and now just 3 against LSG.
Across those fixtures, KKR have accumulated 147 runs from their opening stands at an average of 18.37, the lowest figure among all teams in the competition this season. The same theme is reflected even more starkly when looking at how their openers have performed together: KKR’s top pair have combined for only 258 runs at an average of 17.2, again the poorest total in the tournament.
Rahane’s own Powerplay record further highlights the difficulty of the early overs. In eight innings, he has managed 90 runs off 73 balls, with four dismissals. His strike rate in that phase sits at 123.3, while his dot-ball percentage is 42.4—figures that speak to how often he has been unable to keep the scoring moving.
After Saturday saw teams put up record-breaking totals, Sunday turned out to be a lower-scoring affair, and KKR found themselves punished once more by wickets at the top. Once again, the match began with their batting unit losing momentum almost immediately, leaving them to chase recovery rather than set the tone.
