India, April 19 -- The Ajinkya Rahane crisis has gone from bad to worse in a season of no respite for Kolkata Knight Riders, who sit at the bottom of the points table without a win as IPL 2026 nears the halfway mark. On Sunday, on a tricky Eden Gardens surface, the captain was dismissed for a second consecutive duck, falling to the second ball he faced against Rajasthan Royals.

This came just two days after a golden duck against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. KKR lost that match and, barring a rain-abandoned fixture earlier this month, have now been beaten in all five completed games this season - with a sixth seemingly slipping away.

At the heart of this forgettable campaign has been Rahane, both as captain and batter.

In seven innings,...