Kolkata Knight Riders finally broke their losing streak in IPL 2026, pulling off a four-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens on 19 April. The raw emotion in the dressing room afterwards said it all. Rinku Singh played a brilliant half-century and found a steady partner in Anukul Roy, who finished on 29 not out. Together, their 76-run stand dragged KKR past the 156-run target. It was a massive weight off the shoulders for a squad that has been dealing with injuries and heavy criticism since the start of the season.
KKR end winless run with a four-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens
KKR went into the game stuck at the bottom of the table, with the pressure from fans and media ramping up after every loss. However, the bowlers stepped up when it mattered. Varun Chakaravarthy was the star of the show, taking 3 for 14. In the process, he claimed his 200th T20 wicket, becoming the 10th Indian spinner to hit that milestone. Kartik Tyagi was just as effective, helping KKR keep Rajasthan to 155 for 9, even after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had given them a strong 81-run start.
When the chase almost fell apart
The second half of the game started poorly for KKR. Both openers, Tim Seifert and captain Ajinkya Rahane, were out for ducks, a rare collapse seen only a handful of times in IPL history. When KKR slumped to 85 for 6 after 12.3 overs, the game seemed over.
Ravindra Jadeja made things even harder, taking 2 for 8 in a tight three-over spell. But Rinku and Anukul completely changed the narrative. Rinku, who was dropped early on when he was only on 8, shifted the momentum by hitting Ravi Bishnoi for a huge slog-sweep. He eventually finished the game with a six in the final over, marking his first IPL fifty since 2023.
What did Chakaravarthy's words really mean?
Speaking after the game, Chakaravarthy was unusually open about the struggle within the camp. He praised the coaching staff, specifically mentioning how assistant coach Abhishek Nayar kept the team steady through the rough patch. He noted that there were tears in the dressing room, which is something that didn't even happen when they won the title in 2024, which shows just how much pressure the players have been under.
“Very, very significant. I can tell you I saw many tears in the dressing room today, which we didn’t even see in the year we won the IPL in 2024. The main credit goes to the coaching staff because they didn’t let the outside noise affect us. There were too many people making judgments that were totally baseless. At such times, you need a strong core, and we have that," Chakaravarthy said after the match.
“We started this tournament with many injuries and it actually crippled us even before it began. So I would like to give credit to the coaches, especially Abhishek Nayar. If you’re taking up a team in such conditions, you need a lot of courage. He has taken up the team in a very tough situation. Slowly, step by step, one win here, one win there, we will be back on track," he concluded.
KKR are now in ninth place with three points from seven matches. This win gives them some much-needed confidence before they take on Lucknow Super Giants on 26 April. While Rinku Singh’s batting won them the points, it was the team's mental toughness that kept them in the fight.
