Ajinkya Rahane weighs up on KKR captaincy with 56-ball 98, powers Mumbai to Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final
Ajinkya Rahane was bought for ₹1.5 crore by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Veteran India Ajinkya Rahane once again made a statement for the job of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captaincy in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) as his swashbuckling 56-ball 98 powered Mumbai to the final of the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Friday. In the semifinal, Mumbai defeated Baroda by six wickets and will either face Delhi or Madhya Pradesh in the final.
Chasing Baroda's 158/7, Rahane smashed 11 fours and five sixes during his stay at the crease as Mumbai romped home in 17.2 overs in the first semifinal. Known to be one of best red-ball batters in the country, Rahane's transformation into a T20 thoroughbred was quote remarkable to witness as the right-hander smashed a six off no.1 all-rounder Hardik Pandya to bring up his fifty in 29 balls.
Rahane, who came in after the early departure of Prithvi Shaw, added 78 runs for the second wicket with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who scored 46 off 30 balls which included four fours and three sixes.
With Mumbai needing two runs to win and Rahane on 98, Baroda pacer Abhimanyu Rajput purposedly bowled a wide to deny the India batter a well-deserved hundred. However, the 35-year-old could have got to three figures had he not got out while attempting a big heave. in the very next ball.
Ajinkya Rahane's SMAT form
Rahane has been in tremendous form in SMAT this year with scores of 13, 52, 68, DNB, 22, 95, 84 and 98, thus giving the KKR management a genuine captaincy option after the departure of IPL 2024 title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer, who went to Punjab Kings.
The three-time IPL champion also have Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer as another option but is highly unlikely to go with the ₹23.75 crore buy with the top job, as the southpaw doesn't not have any leadership at the top level. Rahane led Mumbai to Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup triumphs earlier this year.
Earlier, Mumbai bowlers were right on the money against Baroda. Shahswat Rawat (33) and skipper Krunal Pandya (30) could not exploit their starts, getting out to wayward shots.
Shivalik Sharma (34 not out, 24 balls) played a few beefy hits, including a last ball six, to take Baroda past the 150-run mark, but that was not even enough to stretch Mumbai.
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Business NewsSportsCricket NewsAjinkya Rahane weighs up on KKR captaincy with 56-ball 98, powers Mumbai to Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final
First Published:13 Dec 2024, 05:23 PM IST
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