Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane was upset with his side's batting after they lost to Gujarat Titans by 39 runs in the current IPL 2025 campaign. Even though KKR posted a good bowling performance, they were unable to chase the 199-run target and were bowled out for 159 runs. Rahane talked about the requirement to improve their batting immediately, especially in the early and middle overs, where the team has struggled all summer.
Rahane conceded that even though the bowlers have performed consistently, too many collapses by the batting team are undermining the team's overall performance. The loss raised a red flag for Kolkata, as they continue to search for stability and good opening combinations. As the league gathers pace, Rahane believes that identifying and addressing these batting failures is now an over-riding priority.
Rahane Looks Back at Missed Opportunity vs Gujarat Titans
Following the match, Rahane confessed that Kolkata thought that 199 was an achievable target. He attributed the credit of limiting the other team to a competitive but not unachievable score to the bowling unit. But he further suggested that the fact that the team could not lay a strong base at the top order of batting formed the basis of the collapse. Rahane mentioned that the batting order has continued to underperform throughout the season, which continues to haunt them from winning their games.
He also mentioned that the pitch had turned slower than anticipated, and hence the chase was more challenging. In spite of that, Rahane opined that the team could have learned and adjusted and managed the innings better. Middle-order collapses and openers failing to get started meant the chase disintegrated too early. Improvising with pitch conditions and learning from errors were pegged by the captain as areas of strength to improve.
Bowling Performance a Positive Takeaway
Despite the defeat, Rahane believed in the bowling resources of KKR to the same extent that he believed in the team. He gave credit to them to always play their plans and leave opposing sides in a par score daily. For him, bowlers were not only disciplined, but they also had a good sense of understanding while playing on a fixed pitch. Faults in the game were all he discovered if any, the rest having the potential to have saved 15 to 20 runs more had they been finer.
Rahane clarified that his biggest worries are with the batting and not bowling of the team. He was content with how the bowling unit has managed pressure but noted that even good bowling cannot make up for successive failures in batting. Fielding is being worked on, and the team is giving even more priority to this department to concede fewer unnecessary runs.
Issues Regarding Opening Partnerships and Middle Overs
The only consistent problem Rahane mentioned was the absence of poor opening stands. He claimed that repeated failures at the top have resulted in the middle-order not being able to score innings or chase totals. Without a solid beginning, there is excessive pressure on the rest of the batsmen, and at times that results in catastrophic decision-making and collapse. Rahane again emphasized that unless a solid opening pair is found, the team will keep suffering setbacks.
Apart from the initial struggle, the captain also mentioned mismanagement in the middle overs. In Rahane's opinion, this part of the innings is where momentum is gained or lost, and at the moment, the team has not been able to handle this part of the innings. The failure to rotate strike and take boundaries at frequent intervals in the middle overs left KKR with too much to accomplish in the latter half of their pursuit.
Gujarat Titans Capitalise with All-Round Show
Gujarat Titans, skippered by Shubman Gill, took advantage of Kolkata's vulnerabilities in a clinical and organised performance. Batting first, they approached their batting in a structured manner and put up a tough total of 199. Gill was full of praise for his team's performance, particularly their capacity to keep the game under pressure throughout. He believed that in the T20 format of the game, controlled execution and experience are the key reasons for success, and his team won on both those counts.
Gill also accepted the game to be a tight one that could go either way but attributed the loss to his team's calmness. Their defense of the score and judicious use of bowlers along with the fielding arrangements proved a crucial factor. Being careful in utilizing the weak point of KKR at batting to their strengths benefited them, and the win strengthened their hold in the tournament further.
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