KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane criticizes openers after loss to GT
What's the story
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane has publicly slammed his team's openers after their latest loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL)
KKR lost the match on Monday at the Eden Gardens. While Rahane himself made a half-century, the rest of the batting line-up failed to deliver.
The loss extends KKR's poor run in IPL 2025 and keeps them at the seventh position on the points table.
Criticism
Rahane singles out openers for lack of accountability
Rahane reflected on his team's performance, saying they had a good comeback with the ball but struggled with their batting.
"I thought 199 was chaseable. We came back into the game really well with the ball. You expect good opening starts, but that's what we've been struggling with throughout the tournament," Rahane said in a post-match interview.
He reiterated KKR needs to learn quickly from these mistakes.
Pitch impact
Rahane acknowledges slow pitch affected team's performance
Rahane also spoke about how the slow pitch affected their game plan.
"The pitch was a little slow, but when we were bowling, we thought anything below 210 or 200 would be good," he said.
He further stressed on the need for better batting in middle overs and improved opening starts.
Despite all this, Rahane praised his bowlers for improving with every game.
Intent
Rahane emphasizes importance of intent in T20 format
In wake of Venkatesh Iyer's underwhelming show (14 off 19 balls), Rahane emphasized on the importance of intent and positivity in T20 cricket.
"This format is about being brave as a batter. You can't think too much about the past—just learn from your mistakes, take your chances, and have a positive mindset," he said.
He also lauded young Angkrish Raghuvanshi's middle-order show, hinting at promoting other batters up the order depending on their form.