Things went from bad to worse for KKR as GT defeated them by five wickets in IPL 2026. Chasing a target of 181, GT won with two balls to spare.
The win took them to 4th place but KKR stayed in last place due to the loss. They remain the only ones without a win in this season. The only point KKR have comes from a no-result vs PBKS.
KKR Pushed to the Brink of Elimination
With eight games left and 45 to be played in the league phase, KKR need to start winning if they want to finish at least fourth. Yes, finally found form but failed to trouble the scorers. Shubman Gill on the other hand led GT by example. It is not looking good for the franchise co-owned by .
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KKR Must Avoid 2009 Debacle
KKR are in danger of achieving something for the first time in 17 years and that is not good news for the fans. The 2009 edition is the only one in which KKR came last. KKR finished 8th out of 8 teams with just three wins in 14 games. They lost 10 matches and one was a no-result. Now, the current crop of players seems to be heading in that direction.
KKR’s Change in Captains
Back then, the skipper was Brendon McCullum. He had replaced Sourav Ganguly but was then replaced by him again in the next season. Gautam Gambhir took over as skipper in 2011 and took KKR ot the Playoffs for the 1st time. In 2012, he led them to a maiden title followed by another one in 2014. In 2024, Gambhir was the mentor when KKR won their 3rd crown.
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KKR Face Stiff Challenge
A fourth IPL title is looking like a distant dream as KKR could be out of the Playoffs race earlier than expected. What’s worse, their performance may be even worse than 2009 with not even the three wins they had secured back then.
Will It Be a Repeat of 2009?
But there is still time for KKR to turn things around. It will not be easy but it is not impossible. Their next game is vs RR on April 19 and the wins have to start now. Every game matters now for them as they need to pull their socks up. The ghost of 2009 is looming large. It must not become an encore after 17 years.