Like both, Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening problems continued in IPL 2026. Ajinkya Rahane And Tim Seifert They fell early again in the match against Lucknow Supergiants on Sunday.KKR have struggled for starts all season, and the trend followed the same pattern when the top order failed to provide the foundation.Tim Seifert was the first player to go on the last ball of the second over. Mohsin Khan bowled a full ball around the off-stump, and Seifert bowled it straight to Mukul Chaudhary at cover. He scored 0 runs off 3 balls and got out by giving wicket maiden over to Mohsin.On the fourth ball of the fourth over, Ajinkya soon chased Rahane. Mohsin bowled a length delivery around the leg stump, and Rahane tried to slug it across the line. He was beaten due to a lack of pace, mistimed the shot and the ball drifted to mid-off where Aiden Markram completed a safe catch. Rahane was dismissed for 10 runs off 15 balls which included a six.With both openers dismissed in consecutive overs, LSG got off to the perfect start in front of their home crowd.KKR’s opening partnerships this season have been among the poorest in the tournament.Read his opening stands in IPL 2026: 69 against Mumbai Indians, 30 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, 12 against Punjab Kings, 15 against Lucknow Supergiants, 13 against Chennai Super Kings, 5 against Gujarat Titans, 0 against Rajasthan Royals, and now 3 against LSG.This adds up to 147 runs at an average of 18.37, the lowest among all teams this season.KKR debuts in IPL 2026.
- 69 (32) v. MI
- 30 (9) vs SRH
- 12 (10) vs. PBKS
- 15 (10) vs. LSG
- 13 (10) vs CSK
- 5 (4) vs. Gt
- 0 (1) vs. RR
- 3(12) vs. LSG
KKR’s openers have scored just 258 runs at an average of 17.2 this season, the lowest of any team in the tournament.Rahane’s numbers on the power play have also reflected the struggles.In eight innings, he scored 90 off 73 balls, with four outs. His strikeout rate is 123.3, while his dot-ball percentage is 42.4.After a Saturday where teams broke scoring records, Sunday turned into a low-scoring day, and KKR once again found themselves hurt by early wickets at the top.
