Kolkata Knight Riders have made a disastrous start to their run chase in the IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday (April 19).
Chasing a modest total of 156 runs, the Knight Riders have already lost two wickets, as both openers have gone back to the hut.
Tim Seifert fell in the very first delivery of the run chase, as Jofra Archer castled his stumps. And in the 2nd over of the innings, Nandre Burger has sent KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane back to the hut. The KKR skipper also departed without troubling the scorers, with a second-ball duck.
Rahane, who has been vocal about his strike rate in the IPL, has failed to make any mark in this season with the bat. Despite a strong start in the first couple of matches, Rahane's batting contribution
has been limited. And in the last two matches, he has now scored consecutive ducks, further compounding their problems.
Ajinkya Rahane Tops Humble Milestone
Ajinkya Rahane has now scored most IPL ducks as an opener, as it was his 12th 'zero' in career.
Ajinkya Rahane - 12
Partiv Patel - 11
Shikhar Dhawan -10
Gautam Gambhir - 10
David Warner - 9
KKR vs RR: Fans React to Ajinkya Rahane Dismissal
The fans have not taken it kindly on social media.
"Ajinkya Rahane is a liability in T20 format and yet Venky Mysore backed him. Ever since those loud mouth words in Mumbai, he just failed to score runs," a fan wrote on X.
Fans have also called for a new captain.
@KKRiders must start planning for a new captain. Ajinkya Rahane looks out of touch both as captain and with the bat. Time for bold decisions before the season slips away. #IPL2026 #IPL #AjinkyaRahane #KolkataKnightRiders #KKR #KKRvRR
- Ashish Pandey🇮🇳 (@ashishpande1129) April 19, 2026
“Easy chase turned into a struggle — thanks to Ajinkya Rahane opening with zero intent. This isn’t ODI cricket. Meanwhile Sunil Narine — your most explosive option — isn’t opening. KKR sabotaging themselves.”
THANK YOU RAHANE 🫡#KKRVSRR #RAHANE pic.twitter.com/He1ofeHW6b- Kasif (@KKKasif6) April 19, 2026
There are calls from the fans to open the innings with Sunil Narine, as the West Indies star was a grand success for the team at the top of the order.
Another 3rd class knock by 3rd class personality and selfish Ajinkya Rahane.
- T W A P 🔱 (@Buddyabhijit) April 19, 2026
Ajinkya Rahane please stick to youtube. Quit KKR.
- Bleach P (@BleachPlay) April 19, 2026
