KKR Faces Disastrous IPL Start in 14 Seasons with 65-Run Defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad

Kolkata:

Kolkata Knight Riders’ struggles continued in their second game of IPL 2026 as they succumbed to a heavy 65-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. They had earlier lost to the Mumbai Indians as their bowlers conceded more than 220 runs for the second consecutive time. With the loss to SRH, the three-time champions have endured their worst start to the IPL campaign in 14 years.

The last time KKR lost their first two matches of the season was back in 2012, when they lifted the trophy for the first time under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy. KKR had lost to Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals then but finished second in the points table with 10 wins from 16 matches and eventually ended up winning the tournament, beating Chennai Super Kings in the final.

While it remains to be seen if the Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR can take inspiration from their 2012 campaign, the team will aim to register their first win of the season soon. 

When is KKR’s next match in IPL 2026?

KKR will next face the runners-up of the previous edition, Punjab Kings, on Monday (April 6) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. With the pitch likely to remain flat, the home team will have to come up with plans against the in-form Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer. PBKS are scheduled to face CSK today at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and are coming off a brilliant win over the Gujarat Titans in their opening game.

It won’t be easy for KKR to register their first points of the season on Monday either. They will have to play their best cricket as a hat-trick of losses to start the season will mean they would have very little room for error for the reason of the IPL 2026.

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