Ajinkya Rahane Strongly defended his batting and leadership after Kolkata Knight Riders’ crushing 65-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens.Under scrutiny after a slow start to the season, Rahane Didn’t hold back in the post-match press conference, aimed at critics questioning his intent and strike-rate.
“My strike rate… I think I have the best strike rate ever. People who are talking about me are probably not watching the game or have some agenda,” Rahane said. “They don’t like me playing, they don’t like watching me play. The success I’ve had, I think they envy me.”The veteran opener had 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 Angkarsh Raghuvanshi, KKR collapsed dramatically and were bundled out for 161 in just 16 overs.Rahane scored 67 off 40 balls in KKR’s opening match on 29 March when they lost by six wickets to Mumbai Indians at Wankhede.Rahane also captained KKR last season. Last season he had a strike rate of 147.73, scored 390 runs in 13 matches and was the highest run-scorer last season.Rahane, however, insisted that the criticism of an innings was misplaced and backed his point of view.“Just one innings where you don’t get that rhythm, that flow. My intention 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. Instead of thinking about whatever I’m talking about, I pull myself back.”Earlier, SRH produced a near-perfect performance to get back to winning ways. Henrik Klaasen opened the innings with 52 runs, while Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma provided a brilliant opening with 82 runs.KKR’s woes were compounded by poor running between the wickets, which included a chaotic mix. Cameron GreeneHis batting line-up failed to form a run-out partnership, raising further questions about the team’s balance and leadership decisions.Rahane, though, held firm in the face of mounting pressure.
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“He didn’t expect Ajinkya Rahane to improve his game so much. I’m happy that people are talking about me, be it negative or positive. Let them talk,” he said.With two defeats to start their campaign, the spotlight on Rahane and KKR is only going to intensify, but the skipper has made it clear that he won’t be backing down anytime soon.
