Ajinkya Rahane launched a fiery defence of his batting and leadership after Kolkata Knight Riders slumped to a crushing 65-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens. Under scrutiny following a slow start to the season, Rahane did not hold back in the post-match press conference, taking aim at critics questioning his intent and strike rate. “My strike rate… I think I have one of the best strike-rates so far. People who are talking about me are probably not watching the game or they have certain agendas,” Rahane said. “They don’t like me playing, they don’t like to watch me play. The amount of success I’ve had, I guess they are jealous of me.” The veteran opener endured a tough outing, scoring just eight off 10 balls as KKR’s chase of 227 never got going. Despite a strong start from Finn Allen and a fluent half-century from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, KKR collapsed dramatically and were bowled out for 161 in just 16 overs. Rahane, however, insisted that criticism over a single innings was misplaced and backed his approach. “Just one innings where you don’t get that rhythm, that flow. My intent was there. People either don’t understand the game or want me to play a different way,” he added. “I know what I’m doing. I back myself rather than thinking about whoever is talking.” Earlier, SRH produced a near-complete performance to return to winning ways. Heinrich Klaasen anchored the innings with a composed 52, while Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma provided a blistering start with an 82-run opening stand. KKR’s problems were compounded by poor running between the wickets, including a chaotic mix-up that led to Cameron Green’s run-out. Their much-vaunted batting line-up failed to build partnerships, raising further questions over team balance and leadership decisions. Rahane, though, remained defiant in the face of mounting pressure. “They didn’t expect Ajinkya Rahane to improve his game this much. I’m happy people are talking about me, whether negative or positive. Let them talk,” he said. With two defeats to start their campaign, the spotlight on Rahane and KKR is only set to intensify, but the skipper has made it clear he is not backing down anytime soon.
