Kolkata Knight Riders script unwanted history after back-to-back defeats in IPL 2026

In match number six of the Indian Premier League 2026 season on Thursday, April 2, Kolkata Knight Riders faced Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens. However, the home side endured another disappointing outing, slipping to their second consecutive defeat of the tournament and registering an unwanted record in the process.

Unwanted record for Kolkata Knight Riders

This defeat marked KKR’s second straight loss in IPL 2026, following their earlier setback against the Mumbai Indians, where they failed to defend a total of 220 and lost by six wickets with five balls remaining.

With this, the Knight Riders registered an unwanted milestone — for the first time since the 2012 edition of the IPL, they have lost their opening two matches of a season.

Back in 2012, the Knight Riders were defeated by Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in their opener, followed by a 22-run loss to Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

SRH posts a massive total with dominant batting display

After winning the toss, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane opted to bowl first, but Hyderabad’s batting unit came out firing on all cylinders.

Explosive knocks from Abhishek Sharma (48 off 21) and Travis Head (46 off 21) laid the foundation, while Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 35) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (39 off 24) provided the finishing touches. SRH eventually posted a daunting total of 226 runs.

KKR batting collapses under pressure

In response, Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting lineup failed to find any rhythm. Rahane had a disappointing outing, scoring just eight runs off ten deliveries. Finn Allen provided a brief spark with a quickfire 28 off seven balls before falling to youngster Harsh Dubey.

The innings quickly unraveled as wickets fell at regular intervals, and KKR were eventually bundled out for 161 in the 16th over, losing the match by 65 runs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi was the lone bright spot, scoring 52 off 29 balls.

Focus shifts to next clash

With pressure mounting, KKR will now look to bounce back when they face Punjab Kings in their third IPL 2026 fixture on Monday at Eden Gardens, aiming to turn their fortunes around.