![Ajinkya Rahane struggles with the bat in GT vs KKR [Source: Screengrab]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1776437057326_AjinkyaRahanestruggleswiththebatinGTvsKKR.jpg?type=hq)
Ajinkya Rahane struggles with the bat in GT vs KKR [Source: Screengrab]
Ajinkya Rahane was sent back to the pavilion by Mohammed Siraj on the fourth ball of the very first over. Rahane, the skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders, had a nightmare outing in the GT vs KKR IPL 2026 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on the evening of April 17.
Ajinkya Rahane, who has already been under pressure for his team's consecutive losses, gave in to Siraj's masterclass, leaving a hole for KKR at the very beginning of the match.
How Siraj’s Masterclass Sent Back Rahane?
As Rahane took guard to face the first ball of his innings, Mohammed Siraj bowled a clever delivery to the KKR skipper.
Siraj came in at a decent pace of 134.6 km/h, and the swinging ball on the Ahmedabad pitch saw a good-length delivery around the fifth stump that moved outside.
Rahane leaned forward to slam the delivery across the line, but misread it and sliced it straight up in the air. Rabada grabbed a sitter as Rahane had to depart for a golden duck. It was Rahane's first duck, recorded after his last 50 IPL innings since 2020.
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The blunder from Ajinkya Rahane went on to cost the team as Angkrish Raghuvanshi soon followed in the second over, departing for just eight runs.
Ironically, the top two run-scorers of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 were back in the pavilion very early, which already was a massive success for the Gujarat Titans side.
How Have Rahane Fared So Far in IPL 2026?
Rahane's outings so far have been decent, although not very consistent. Rahane has produced an average of 30.40 in the IPL with a strike rate of 147.57. His scores of 67, 41, and 28 were credible during matches where the team was struggling with the bat.
However, Ajinkya Rahane’s golden duck wasn’t forgotten, given the fact that netizens picked up on it and criticised him for his failure with the bat as well as in captaincy throughout the tournament.
Rahane's Captaincy Under Fire After Woeful KKR Form
Besides some errors in toss-making decisions and a controversial engagement with Cricket Australia over Cameron Green's bowling status, Rahane's captaincy has also been questioned throughout the tournament.
After playing five matches, the Kolkata Knight Riders have only one point, courtesy of an abandoned clash against the Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens on April 6. Against Chennai, KKR's most recent defeat, the team failed to chase a target of 193 runs at Chepauk.
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Against Lucknow Super Giants at their home ground in Kolkata, they failed to defend a total of 181 runs. SRH and the Mumbai Indians, too, showed strength with their batting to dominate a lopsided Kolkata Knight Riders bowling attack.
Nevertheless, with some of the key bowlers still out of the tournament, KKR are taking a long time to find their way back in IPL 2026. Significantly, Ajinkya Rahane's guidance and leadership will also be questioned after the poor run of performances from the men in purple.
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