Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faced another defeat on Sunday as they were set a mammoth 278-run target by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). KKR batters faltered under pressure, and the franchise ultimately ended up being bowled out for 168.
Despite the loss, Rahane remained optimistic about the defending champions’ potential in the IPL, stating that had they won two to three close matches this season, a top-two finish would have been likely. Rahane also admitted that his bowlers failed to execute their plans, but acknowledged Heinrich Klaasen and other SRH batters batted exceptionally well.
Ajinkya Rahane on how KKR could have ended in top two IPL spots
Speaking after the match, Rahane said, “Throughout the season, we had our moments, we had our chances, 2-3 close games which we thought we didn't play well as a team, as a unit. Apart from that, we tried our best, we gave our best. A format like this, you got to be switched on every time. This format is really tough, this IPL is really tough.”
He added, "As a team, we had those chances, we had those moments, we would have been probably number one or two in the table. But, no regrets, lots to learn from this season. All the players tried their best, gave their best. We'll come back really stronger next year."
KKR ended the season with 12 points and a net run rate of -0.305. In addition to their losses, two of their matches—against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings—were washed out due to rain, earning them two points.
The franchise had released Shreyas Iyer ahead of this year's mega auction and purchased Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore. The costly buy didn’t pay off for KKR, as Iyer struggled to make an impact this season, while the team under Rahane looked like a shadow of the side they were last year.
