Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that his side must seriously reassess their team combinations after yet another defeat in IPL 2026, as the franchise continues to struggle at the bottom of the table.
KKR suffered a 32-run defeat against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Tuesday night, a result that extended their winless run this season. Despite a better bowling effort that restricted Chennai Super Kings to 192/5 on a good batting surface, the visitors once again faltered with the bat.
Rahane praised the bowling unit for their effort after a difficult powerplay where CSK raced to a strong start. However, he acknowledged that the batting unit failed to build momentum and could not capitalize on key phases of the innings.
“I thought with the ball, we were treated really well. 190 on this wicket was really good, especially after the powerplay. Pulling it back was an amazing job from our bowling unit,” Rahane said after the match.
He pointed out that KKR’s poor start with the bat, managing only 36–37 runs in the powerplay, proved costly in the chase. While the middle overs saw challenges against spin, Rahane felt the pitch still offered enough value for batters willing to settle in.
“We needed one batter to bat deep and take it till the end,” he added, highlighting the absence of a long, anchoring innings as a key reason for the collapse.
Chasing 193, KKR were rocked early at 29/2 before a brief recovery through a 50-run partnership between Rahane (28 off 22) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27 off 19). However, a decisive spell from Noor Ahmad turned the match firmly in CSK’s favour, triggering a middle-order collapse. KKR eventually finished at 160/7.
Rahane also admitted that while the team had backed a settled playing combination coming into the match, the ongoing losing streak has forced difficult conversations within the dressing room.
“At the moment, we’re not winning matches, so it’s tough. We’ll have to sit and think about combinations. Sometimes you stick with a group when results go your way, but when they don’t, you have to reassess,” he explained.
Despite the struggles, Rahane stressed the importance of maintaining unity and a positive mindset within the squad. He urged his team to stay focused on the present while reviewing possible changes to turnaround their fortunes.
With four losses and one no-result, KKR remain winless and rooted at the bottom of the table, while CSK climbed to eighth position after securing crucial points from the victory.
As pressure mounts, KKR’s upcoming matches now carry added significance, with team balance and consistency likely to become key discussion points in the dressing room.
