KKR vs RR: Ajinkya Rahane called 'SELFISH" by fans after his second consecutive duck in IPL 2026

Anirudh, an engineer by training, has been contributing to Khel Now since 2024. He loves crafting inspiring stories.

Published at :April 19, 2026 at 6:27 PM

Modified at :April 19, 2026 at 6:27 PM

Ajinkya Rahane called 'SELFISH" by fans after his duck in KKR vs RR clash of IPL 2026

(Courtesy : Twitter)

Chasing 156, Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for a duck leaving KKR in massive trouble.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) continue to struggle for momentum with the bat at the top of the order, and at the centre of the criticism is their captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has badly lost his form with the bat in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

After starting the tournament with an excellent half-century against Mumbai Indians (MI), Rahane has now got out for consecutive ducks, raising questions over his place in the team, amidst KKR‘s poor run of form due to which they find themselves at the bottom of the points table.

Against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the afternoon fixture, Jofra Archer produced a splendid spell to get rid of Tim Seifert off the very first ball. Late, Nandre Burger claimed the wicket of Rahane, who departed on just the second ball he faced, without scoring any runs.

Rahane is not only facing the heat for his batting form, but also due to some questionable captaincy decisions he made on the field. Rahane took Vaibhav Arora from the attack despite bowling a quiet first over to RR’s dynamic opening pair.

He then handed the ball to sixth bowling option Ramandeep Singh, instead of trusting their marquee pick Cameron Green. This move backfired as Ramandeep went for 14 and 12 runs in the two overs he bowled.

Fans on Twitter react as Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for a second consecutive duck in KKR vs RR clash of IPL 2026

Will Ajinkya Rahane play tonight for KKR vs SRH in IPL 2026? — Ajinkya Rahane (Image Source: BCCI/IPL)

Ajinkya Rahane faced severe criticism from KKR and IPL fans on social media. Fans went hard on Rahane as he failed to once again deliver with the bat. With KKR struggling with the bat again, they could very well be on their way to lose their fifth match of the IPL 2026 season. Here are some of them:

Another 3rd class knock by 3rd class personality and selfish Ajinkya Rahane.
— T W A P 🔱 (@Buddyabhijit) April 19, 2026

Rahane last 2 games,0(1) v GT0(2) v RR
— arfan (@Im__Arfan) April 19, 2026

This is the same management who kept backing Narine as a captain for ADKR for few consecutive years, even when they were in the bottom of the table.They'll keep backing this shitty coach in Nayar, & this horrendous captain in Rahane because all they care about is business.
— KKR Analysis (@kkranalysis) April 19, 2026

If Rahane has an ounce of shame left, he should drop himself from the next match. He is neither scoring runs nor doing a good job as captain…he has been a flop on all fronts.
— Nush (@nushtweets_) April 19, 2026

When KKR needs intent- Rahane plays TukTukWhen KKR needs TukTuk- Rahane scores Ducks pic.twitter.com/bs23EbAz5q
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) April 19, 2026

Sometimes when I see Ajinkya Rahane – a pure Test player – opening in the Kolkata Knight Riders, it honestly makes me feel a bit relaxed.– Because if a billion-dollar league like the Indian Premier League, with thousands of players waiting and so much talent available, can… pic.twitter.com/hgP9HRAZvy
— Amjad 🏏 🇵🇰 (@Amjadcricz) April 19, 2026

Rahane spent more time in post match presentation than on crease pic.twitter.com/YhIRFfET7A
— Shreyas Aryan (@Ariyen34) April 19, 2026

Most ducks as an opener in IPL12 – Ajinkya Rahane*11 – Parthiv Patel10 – Shikhar Dhawan10 – Gautam Gambhir9 – David Warner@ajinkyarahane88 congratulations 🎉👏 #kkrvsrr
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhan862) April 19, 2026

Throw this 37 yrs old washed Rahane and build something for the future..This crybabay is finished..You cant gain anything with him captaining this team..This moron has ruined the whole balance of the team and is an awful captain.He is not scoring any runs too #KKRvsRR
— Cover Drive (@day6596) April 19, 2026

"People don't want to see my performance and strike rate " Then scored 2 ducks back to back for Rahane 😂🤣 @KKRiders
— Soni Raj Singh (retired KKR fan ) (@SoniDreams_) April 19, 2026

Duck king Rahane in the KKR XI just to eat up a youngster’s spot while dragging the team down with his captaincy pic.twitter.com/Fl3YfHXQCt
— StarcyKKR (@StarcKKR) April 19, 2026

Why is Ajinkya Rahane facing criticism in IPL 2026?

Rahane is under pressure due to poor batting form, including consecutive ducks, and questionable captaincy decisions that have impacted KKR’s performance.

How did Ajinkya Rahane get out against Rajasthan Royals?

Rahane was dismissed for a duck by Nandre Burger, getting out on just the second ball he faced.

What is KKR’s current situation in IPL 2026?

KKR are struggling for form and are currently near the bottom of the points table after a series of disappointing performances.

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Aniruddh Seshadri

Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.