IPL 2025: KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane loses his cool, blames openers after losing to Gujarat Titans, says 'You expect …'

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane felt the 199-run target was "chaseable" and admitted, despite a spirited bowling display, they "faltered" with their batting after succumbing to a 39-run defeat against Gujarat Titans in their home den on Monday night in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

After the coin spun in Kolkata's favour, the Knight Riders put in an inspired performance with the ball to restrict Gujarat to 198/3 on Eden's batting paradise. Unlike Gujarat's watchful approach, which saw skipper Shubman Gill dazzle with 90(55), Kolkata lost the plot in the powerplay.

With a peach of a delivery, Mohammed Siraj pinned opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz in front of the stumps in the first over. Sunil Narine and Rahane stitched up a promising 41-run stand, but Rashid Khan weaved magic with his spin and removed Narine to ensure Gujarat continued dominating.

From that moment, Rahane was left alone. He single-handedly tried to steady KKR's sinking ship with his fifty, but there were too many holes for the skipper to fill. He carried the expectations associated with KKR being the defending champions on his shoulders, but the burden eventually caught up to him.

Rahane's deputy, Venkatesh Iyer, failed to live up to his hefty price tag, returning with an underwhelming 14(19). The experienced duo of Andre Russell and Rinku Singh continued to dwindle with their misfiring form and succumbed to the pressure.

"I thought 199 was chaseable. We came back into the game really well with the ball. When you are chasing 199, you expect a good opening start with the batters; that's where we are struggling throughout this tournament. I thought 199 was chaseable on this wicket; we bowled really well, but we faltered with our batting. We need to learn as quickly as possible and keep going," he said in the post-match presentation.

Rahane emphasised the frail start from the opening pair while pursuing a herculean target, which hindered their chances of successfully chasing it. The KKR skipper identified the opening pair's struggle and the middle order's failure as areas they need to improve and excel in.

"It was a little slow, but we thought if we got them below 200, it would be really good. We know these conditions really well. We need to bat properly, we need to bat well in the middle overs, and that's where we are struggling. When you're chasing a big target, you expect a good start with the opening batters. That's what we are looking to get better as a batting unit; no complaints with our bowlers. Fielding is a part I have always believed we can control as a team. If you can save 10-15 runs on the field, that's always better," he said.

"You've got to be switched on; that's where we are lacking. This format is about being brave. You need to learn from the mistakes. As a batting unit, you've got to be brave and take a positive mindset. It's just a matter of time; we've got quality batters in the middle order, and I back them completely. Angkrish (Raghuvanshi) has been batting really well. Today, we pushed the other boys to get the run rate going up," he added.

With Kolkata emerging as a deflated side after slumping to the seventh spot with four points from eight fixtures, the defending champions need to turn their fortunes around and return to winning ways in their upcoming clash against Punjab Kings on Saturday.