Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Seifert Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening woes continued in IPL 2026 as Ajinkya Rahane and Tim Seifert again fell early in the match against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.KKR have struggled with starts all season and the trend has followed the same pattern as the top order has not provided a foundation.
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“We didn’t play good cricket” – Mahela Jayawardene after MI’s biggest IPL loss vs CSKTim Seifert walked first in the final ball of the second over. Mohsin Khan bowled a full delivery around the off stump and Seifert chipped it straight to Mukul Choudhary at covers. He was dismissed for 0 off 3 balls, taking the wicket of Mohsin.Ajinkya Rahane soon followed with the fourth ball of the fourth over. Mohsin lunged along the off stump and Rahane tried to hit him over the line. Overcome by a lack of pace, he misfired and the ball went into midfield where Aiden Markram made a safe catch. Rahane was out for 10 off 15 balls, including one in the sixth.With both openers dismissed in consecutive overs, LSG got off to a perfect start in front of the home crowd.KKR’s opening partnership this season has been among the poorest in the tournament.Their opening stands in IPL 2026: 69 vs Mumbai Indians, 30 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 12 vs Punjab Kings, 15 vs Lucknow Super Giants, 13 vs Chennai Super Kings, 5 vs Gujarat Titans, 0 vs Rajasthan Royals and now 3 vs LSG.That adds up to 147 runs at an average of 18.37, the fewest by any team this season.KKR Stands Opening in IPL 2026
- 69 (32) vs MI
- 30 (9) vs. SRH
- 12 (10) vs. PBKS
- 15 (10) vs LSG
- 13 (10) vs. Czech Republic
- 5 (4) vs. GT
- 0 (1) vs. RR
- 3(12) vs LSG
KKR’s openers have amassed just 258 runs at an average of 17.2 this season, which is also the lowest of any team in the tournament.Rahane’s own numbers in the power-play also reflected the struggle.In eight innings, he scored 90 runs from 73 balls with four dismissals. His strikeout rate is 123.3, while his dot-ball percentage is 42.4.After a Saturday where the teams broke scoring records, Sunday turned into a low-scoring day and KKR once again found themselves on the brink of early wickets at the top.
