Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo.
The famous slogan of Kolkata Knight Riders has a simple yet powerful meaning in Bengali — we will do it, we will fight, we will win. It reflects the identity of a franchise built on resilience, struggle and the belief that it will always find a way.
But this season, those words felt so far from reality. Six games into IPL 2026, KKR have shown flashes of fight, moments when they looked ready to turn things around, but the last part of that tagline – victory – has completely deserted them. Five losses, one lost match and only one single point on the table. It was a dramatic fall for the three-time champions.
GT vs KKR, IPL 2026: MAIN | SCORECARD
Many will be pointing fingers at the team management and captain Ajinkya Rahane for some of the calls they have made – from the auction table to the on-field decisions this season.
But in the end, KKR’s biggest problem was much simpler than tactics or combinations – they failed to execute the fundamentals of the game.
Lost to Gujarat Titans was another brutal reminder of that, showing just how far the mighty champions of 2024 have fallen.
And perhaps no phase summed up their season better than the last six overs in Ahmedabad, where Cameron Green battled like a lone warrior only to stay in the crease as KKR completely lost the plot.
GREEN FINALLY APPEARS
Green came into the clash with GT almost carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Fifty six points from five matches and just one solitary wicket is not what you expect from your Rs 25.2 crore signing. When you spend that much, you want him to be Superman—the man who stops the train before it goes off the rails.
To his credit, Green did exactly that with the bat.
KKR again failed in the power play, managing only 37 runs from six overs and three wickets already out.
He steadied the ship alongside Rovman Powell and scored at a rate that may not suit the modern T20 game, but it was exactly what KKR needed at the time.
And then, once Powell was released, it was almost like Green ripped open his shirt to reveal the Superman logo on his chest.
He shifted gears completely. Rashid Khan felt the brunt of it, getting smashed for 33 runs off just 18 balls.
One area where KKR have struggled all season has been the middle overs with the bat. But in Ahmedabad, the scenario has changed. Between overs 7 to 15, Kolkata piled on over 100 runs.
At the end of 14 overs, KKR were cruising to 139 for 4, with the green batting on 69 off 41 balls. At that point you expected them to push hard for 200. Instead they somehow ended up with just 180 and were bowled out.
So what happened in the next six overs? How did these 36 deliveries become the defining collapse of the night – and our game of the day?
KKR’S BRAIN
Before we get to Ahmedabad, let’s go back to 2022. At the Brabourne Stadium against Rajasthan Royals, KKR had one of their most amazing brainteasers. Chasing 218, they were cruising at 178 for 4 after 16 overs.
Then, out of nowhere, everything fell apart. Four wickets fell in the 17th over as the batsmen chased glory instead of playing smart cricket. Rather than getting Yuzvendra Chahal out, they tried to attack him and gave the game away.
It was reckless. And something eerily similar unfolded in Ahmedabad.
It started with Anukul Roy trying to attack Prasidh Krishna and throwing away his wicket. Rinku Singh came out next and you expected the man who once made history on this very spot to be smarter. After all, he is the vice-captain of the party.
But he too fell in almost the same manner to give Rabada the third wicket. Ramandeep Singh came in next and got off to a great start – two sixes and a boundary, 17 off just seven balls.
And then? Another big blow. Another catch. Another goal.
Sunil Narine followed the same script. I’m trying to go big. Confusion. Away.
And during all the chaos, Cameron Green was on the other end – just watching.
Not batting. I’m just watching. Like everyone at home and in the stadium, he became a spectator of the massacre.
Green was 75 off 44 balls when Anukul was out in 14.4 overs. He did not get a strike again until 17.1.
One single.
Score: 76 out of 45.
By this time the momentum was completely dead.
Green returned the stroke midway through the 19th over and bowled three dot balls before taking one to hold on for the final over. He even tried a ramp shot that went nowhere and bounced just ahead of the GT racers.
Score: 78 out of 50.
He managed just one run off the first three balls of the final, followed by a lucky four byes. And then he finally fell for Rashid, who took revenge on him.
Final score: 79 out of 55.
To break it all down, here’s how Green’s innings progressed against GT.
- 1-10: 6 runs
- 11-20:11 runs
- 21-30: 16 runs
- 31-40: 35 runs
- 41-50: 10 runs
- 51-55: 1 run
And it all came down to KKR missing the trick and starving their in-form batter for runs when they could have changed everything.
“Every batsman that came in there wanted to hit a four or a six for himself. When you have a batter set up at the other end, facing only 2 deliveries in those 3.5 overs. I mean, that’s basic cricket. We heard Angkrish Raghuvanshi before the game where he said, look, we want to go back to basics.” Anil Kumble said in JioHotstar’s post-match segment.
“That’s the basics where you’ve got the batters on the other end, hit him. You don’t want to go out there and then hit those fours and sixes. Yeah, if there’s an opportunity, do it, but give him a chance to go big and be ready; he knew the pitchers. They were under the pump, the GT pitchers, and then you just let it play, and that moment definitely came back into the game.”
Even if you feel sorry for Green, the fault was also on his side. As a batsman, he should have taken more responsibility to finish the innings and find a way to attack the farm.
In the end, a margin of 20 to 30 runs proved costly for KKR. Despite shooting under par 180, they continued to challenge the GT with the ball and push them to the finals and loses with two balls remaining.
Another game is gone. Another defeat was added to the table.
And for the three-time champions, the season now feels like it is running faster than they can stop it.
When the campaign finally ends, this six-run collapse in Ahmedabad may well be the moment they look back on with the most regret.
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– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
18 Apr 2026 07:58 IST
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