CHENNAI: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane didn’t need to say much after Tuesday’s IPL 2026 outing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The disappointment on his face mirrored the outcome as his team was beaten by 32 runs by Chennai Super Kings, suffering another setback in a season that has not gone to plan so far.
After the match, Rahane went through the formalities with a handshake all around, offered well-wishes to the CSK dressing room, and then moved straight to speak with the broadcasters. For KKR, the defeat only underlined how difficult things have been: in five games they have not managed a win, with four losses and one no result. They sit at the foot of the standings with a solitary point and a net run rate of -1.383, leaving them plenty to fix in the weeks ahead.
Rahane addressed the mood in the camp with a message of perspective and positivity. “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 is to stay positive, keep our heads up, keep our chins up, and just focus on the moment,” he said. He also acknowledged that the team would have to evaluate combinations and roles as the tournament progresses. “We’ll have to go back to the dressing room, think about the combinations. We’ll have to consider changes. Sometimes you back players and the results go your way, then it’s fine. But if the results aren’t going your way, you’ve got to think about the combination. Apart from that, I felt it was all about staying positive and keeping our heads up,” Rahane added.
CSK posted 192/5 and then tightened the screws after KKR’s chase began. The visitors were kept to 160/7, falling short despite some resistance. Noor Ahmad returned figures of 4-0-21-3, playing a key role in restricting KKR’s scoring tempo at crucial stages. At the other end, Rovman Powell made 31 not out and Ramandeep Singh contributed 35, and those knocks helped KKR put together a 63-run partnership, but it still wasn’t enough to chase down the total.
Rahane, speaking on the match plan, highlighted the way CSK used phases of the game. “There wasn’t really any momentum with the bat,” he said. “With the ball, we retreated really well. Getting 190 on this kind of wicket was really good—especially the powerplay, where they got about 70-odd runs. After that, pulling it back to 190 was an amazing job from our bowling unit. Initially with our batting, we only managed 36 or 37 runs in the powerplay, and I thought that was really important. The middle phase was slightly challenging against spinners, but the wicket was good overall. We needed one batter to stay in deep and then finish it off in the end,” he explained.
For KKR, Kartik Tyagi was a bright spot with 2/35, while Sunil Narine produced 4-0-21-1 as CSK managed the finishing touches to reach a defendable score. Rahane also praised Tyagi’s work ethic and how he has been sharpening his skills. “All credit goes to him. He’s working really hard in the nets. He’s been bowling really well, and he’s a great talent. The pace he’s bowling at right now is amazing, and I’m really happy for him. Game by game, he’s improving his skillset,” he said. On CSK’s spin unit, Rahane noted that it wasn’t just about taking wickets—it was about making batting difficult. “Yeah, all three spinners. If you look at CSK’s spinners too, they bowled really well. It wasn’t easy for batters to hit big sixes unless you bowled really full—then it becomes easy. Otherwise, putting it back and going across isn’t an easy option for the batters. I thought from both sides, the spinners bowled really well,” he added, before reiterating the need to keep belief intact. “We just have to keep our head up, stay positive, and keep that self-belief.”
KKR’s next assignment comes against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on April 17, a match that will offer another chance to reset their campaign after their latest defeat.
