Ajinkya Rahane made an emphatic statement in his very first outing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), delivering a scintillating 31-ball 56 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 opener. However, his brilliant knock came in a losing cause as KKR faltered after a strong start, allowing RCB to chase down their target with 22 balls to spare. Now, with little time to reflect, KKR must quickly shift focus to their next game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on Wednesday.
“I hope you all enjoyed my innings rather than me enjoying my batting,” Rahane said in the post-match press conference, underlining his team-first mentality. “For me, it’s all about contributing to the team. Whatever runs I score, it’s always about how much it helps the team. An innings of 56 in a winning cause would have been really nice. But it’s fine, we learn and move on.”
The Turning Point: A Middle-Overs Meltdown
KKR seemed on course for a massive total when they reached 107 for 1 in the 10th over, thanks to Rahane’s fluent strokeplay and a supporting knock from Sunil Narine (44). However, what followed was a dramatic slide, as KKR crumbled to 174 for 9 by the end of their innings. The middle order, usually the engine room of their batting, collapsed under pressure.
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Despite having the platform to push past 200, only Angkrish Raghuvanshi (30) made a notable contribution, while the rest of the batting unit fell apart. KKR could only muster 23 runs in the last four overs, allowing RCB to gain the upper hand.
“It is the first game of the season, and the batting lineup we have is filled with players who like to take on the bowlers,” Rahane explained. “I thought RCB bowled really well in the powerplay, but the real momentum shift happened in the 13th and 14th overs. That’s when they picked up crucial wickets, and it changed the game. Losing wickets in quick succession is what hurt us.”
Backing the Team Amid Challenges
Despite the defeat, Rahane remained positive about his squad’s capabilities. “I don’t focus on the negatives too much because we have players who have done exceptionally well for this franchise in the past. I’m going to back them. Tonight, it didn’t work out, but that’s okay. It’s a long season.”
Rahane also addressed the decision to pick Quinton de Kock as the wicketkeeper-opener over Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had a strong showing in the previous IPL season.
“Gurbaz is a fantastic player, but we cannot play everyone,” Rahane stated. “We have to find the right combination. We felt that Quinton and Sunil opening could be a dangerous pair. You saw Phil Salt and Virat Kohli open for RCB—both right-handers—so not having a left-right combination doesn’t always matter.”
Backing the Young Bowlers
KKR’s relatively inexperienced pace attack—Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Spencer Johnson—struggled on the night, conceding a combined 105 runs in 8.2 overs. However, Rahane expressed confidence in their abilities.
“I don’t believe in making too many changes,” he asserted. “[Anrich] Nortje is coming back from injury, and fast bowlers have a tough job. Harshit, Vaibhav, and Spencer have been doing well in the past. Spencer brings a different angle with his left-arm pace, while Vaibhav has also impressed. Harshit is a confident player, and I trust players who have done well for the franchise.”
Looking Ahead
With the loss behind them, KKR will look to regroup quickly as they prepare to face RR in Guwahati. Rahane’s leadership, coupled with the team’s attacking intent, will be crucial as they aim to bounce back stronger in IPL 2025.
Stay tuned for more action!
