Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finally end their losing streak in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. On Sunday, April 19, the three-time champions defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by four wickets at the Eden Gardens.

Riyan Parag won the toss on Sunday and opted to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi had an 81-run partnership but neither of them were as destructive as they are known to be. The pitch had a role to play in that, as the ball wasn't coming on nicely onto the bat.

After Yashasvi and Suryavanshi were dismissed for 39 and 46, respectively, KKR pulled things back wonderfully, with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy bowling brilliantly in tandem.

The two spinners combined to bowl eight overs, giving away just 40 runs and picking up five wickets. Kartik Tyagi took three wickets in the 19th over, and eventually, the Royals finished on 155/9 in 20 overs.

In the second innings, the Royals neede early wickets and it was Jofra Archer, who once again struck with his first delivery. He got the better of Tim Seifert with a peach of a delivery. Ajinkya Rhaane departed in the following over and things looked grim for the hosts.

Parag understood that the surface was favouring the spinners. He brought leg-spinner Yash Raj Punia in as the Impact Player instead of speedster Sandeep Sharma. This move paid dividends as Punia bowled four overs for 25 runs and bagged one wicket.

Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi also bowled well through the middle overs. The former created a massive opportunity in the 11th over when he had Rinku top edging one to Nandre Burger. However, the South Africa pacer dropped a regulation chance.

KKR lost six wickets inside 14 overs when Anukul Roy joined forces with Rinku. They had a tough task in hand, but both of them showed great maturity to forge an unbeaten 76-run partnership off 37 balls to take their team home with two balls to spare.

Talking Points 1. Nandre Burger drops Rinku Singh on 8, batter makes RR pay

Nandre Burger had to take a regulation catch at short third in the 11th over of the match off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling and KKR would have lost their sixth wicket for just 73 runs. However, the ball popped out of the South African seamer's hands, much to the joy of the home fans. Rinku, who had been struggling with the bat throughout the season, made full use of the lifeline.

Alongside Anukul, the KKR vice-captain took his team home with two balls to spare. Rinku finished unbeaten on 53 off 34 balls.

2. Mystery spinners strangle RR batters

The combination of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy worked their magic on a sluggish track at the Eden Gardens. Narine had been bowling well throughout the season, but Chakaravarthy wasn't at his best. However, the Tamil Nadu spinner brought his A-game to the fore on Sunday. He finished with exemplary figures of 3/14 in four overs. On the other hand, Narine bagged two wickets and gave away just 26 runs in his four-over spell.

3. Kartik Tyagi finally gets rewarded for giving 100% effort in each game

Kartik Tyagi had been bowling with a lot of heart in each and every game. However, he was unlucky not to pick as many wickets as he deserved for his efforts. However, on Sunday, he bowled superbly, to finish with figures of 3/22 in four overs. In the 19th over of Rajasthan's innings, Tyagi bagged all three wickets, and conceded just two runs.

KKR vs RR: Who Said What? Riyan Parag, RR captain

"I think like the first four or five overs we assessed, the was a 170-run wicket, so we were 10 under par for starters. And then I think the way we clawed back, the effort the bowlers put in, I'll say, and it was our game. No excuses there. We can't be dropping catches, we can't be bowling lines that help the batters. So, silly errors from our side. But this was our game. I think there was a lot of spin in the wicket (on not bowling Brijesh and the other pacers until late). And the way Bishnoi and Poonja bowl is different. I felt that spin was what the situation required. And that's why I went with it. When it works out, it looks nice. But then I felt it worked out today as well. And then just a few errors here and there. And that's the point. (On Brijesh) I think he was almost there to bowl, I feel, the 14th and the 16th as well. But then they lost wickets and then they were two left-handers. So I got myself in and the spinners were going really well. So I chose to trust those spinners that we might, you know, get a slog or something to get a wicket. We almost did that. And once that Bishnoi's over was done, I felt, okay, spinners might go here because of the left-hand combinations. And I felt Brijesh will go 18 and 20th over. Not at all. I think the way the middle order executed today, I think they all set a platform for them. Me and Hetty, we took 10-15 balls each and then when it was time to go, we missed. So I think the game plan was there collectively during the time was we felt, like I said, it was a 170 wicket and we would give ourselves some time and go for the last five overs. We tried doing that, didn't really come off, but I'm happy with the way the boys are thinking. I feel, again, a few errors here and there and that's also true, boys. Hopefully next game, we could have a clinical game for you all. Everyone who plays for Rajasthan Royals has complete confidence and full faith in him (Yashraj Punja). You throw them in the deep end and they come out shining. So I felt Punja bowled really well. A few nerves here and there in the first over, but I think once he bowls and keeps on bowling these hard overs for us, then there's a chance that he's going to become a great bowler for us."

Ajinkya Rahane, KKR captain

"Really happy to be here. Feels really good. There were a lot of emotions. I am really happy for Rinku, Anukul Roy and Varun. Really happy with how both of them batted in that partnership. I like to have one-on-one conversations. It's about reading the situations well. This victory will the confidence. Batting-wise, there's still room for improvement. (On Tyagi) Fantastic, he's been clear about his ability. When you have a guy like that, he's still young, he's been amazing. VEry happy to see him getting that confidence. The pace at which he's bowling is amazing. There's lot to learn from every game. That's where the cricketing awareness comes. Sometimes I feel strike-rate is over-rated. Take the game deep and we saw what happened today. This was a great escape for us. We need to reflect and learn. As a team, we have to come together and have that clear communication. The atmosphere in the dressing room has been amazing. The fans have been fantastic, this victory belongs to them. Very positive, you get that positive vibe."

Varun Chakaravarthy, Player of the Match

Feels great. I need to give credit to the entire coaching staff. The head coach and the other coaches didn't let the outside noise affect us. Initially I was injured, I had to manage that. (On the conditions today) It was little slow, suited us. We are making a statement that we are not pushovers. We still have hopes.