Kolkata Knight Riders hit a 14-year low on Thursday, marking the first time since 2012 that they have dropped their opening two matches of an IPL season. After their bowling unit struggled in the 2026 season opener against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, the batting department fell apart at Eden Gardens. The three-time champions endured a significant 65-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad reached a formidable 226/8 after KKR chose to bowl first. This total was built on a rapid start from Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, followed by a dominant half-century from Heinrich Klaasen. Blessing Muzarabani was the standout bowler for KKR, finishing with figures of 4/41.
KKR sinks vs SRH
In the chase, Finn Allen provided Kolkata with a fast start by hitting several boundaries in the first over. However, the home team could not maintain that energy and collapsed to 161 all out in 16 overs, resulting in their second straight loss.
Following the match, Captain Ajinkya Rahane conceded that the absence of middle-over partnerships was the deciding factor.
“I thought, we did a couple of big partnerships. Guys who were set, they needed to take it deep in the end with the ball [bat]. I thought we came back really well for 7-8 overs. Within the [10] overs, I thought they were 130, 140-odd. But with the ball, I thought we came back really well. In batting, when you’re chasing the target, you know you need that partnership. We couldn’t get that,” he said.
Rahane noted that the pitch conditions shifted during the second innings, offering more grip for bowlers, though he refused to use this as a justification for the loss.
“I thought the second innings, I felt the ball was slightly stopping. The slower balls were gripping a lot more than the first innings. And that’s what we, I don’t know, we thought the wicket will get better but the ball was little stopping. But again, see, no excuses. We got the good start. I thought first six overs we were 78. We lost that one extra wicket. Green is run out. But apart from that, we were going really well. As I said, middle overs were the crucial time for us. We needed that partnership from the set batters. That just didn’t happen,” he added.
‘KKR need one batter extra’
With both the bowling and batting units struggling in these first two games, Rahane suggested the team must evaluate their lineup and overall balance.
“Winning a game, home game is really important. So, we’ll have to just go back in the drawing room, just think about our combination. If bowling, if we can get extra batter in our lineup, we’ll have to think about that. But again, we got 3-4 days. We don’t want to think too much.”
The Kolkata Knight Riders will now attempt to reset before their third game of the season, scheduled against Punjab Kings on April 6 at home.
Full Post-Match Quotes: Ajinkya Rahane
“Yeah, I thought, no, we did a couple of big partnerships. Guys who were set, they needed to take it deep in the end with the ball [bat]. I thought we came back really well for 7-8 overs. Within the [10] overs, I thought they were 130, 140-odd. But with the ball, I thought we came back really well. In batting, when you’re chasing the target, you know you need that partnership. We couldn’t get that. I thought the second innings, I felt the ball was slightly stopping. The slower balls were gripping a lot more than the first innings. And that’s what we, I don’t know, we thought the wicket will get better but the ball was little stopping. But again, see, no excuses. We got the good start. I thought first six overs we were 78. We lost that one extra wicket. Green is run out. But apart from that, we were going really well. As I said, middle overs were the crucial time for us. We needed that partnership from the set batters. That just didn’t happen. I thought SRH bowlers executed the slower balls and the angles what they used was really good. Yes, absolutely. I mean, winning a game, home game is really important. So, we’ll have to just go back in the drawing room, just think about our combination. If bowling, if we can get extra batter in our lineup, we’ll have to think about that. But again, we got 3-4 days. We don’t want to think too much. I think guys are doing really well. Just one off day with the bat. Last game we did really well. Just needed those small partnerships. I think if the batters can have that positive mindset and this extra awareness while batting, I think we’ll be fine.”
