New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane has admitted that his side’s struggles at the top of the batting order in the edition are proving to be very costly after a 39-run defeat against Gujarat Titans on in Indian Premier League 2025 on Monday. Another underwhelming batting show from the Knight Riders restricted them to 159/8 chasing 199.
Rahane said that he thought 199 was chaseable after the team did really well with the ball in the first innings to stop the Titans at 199, who were looking on course for a total between 220 to 230. The skipper said that he expected a good opening start by the batters but it did not happen and that’s what the team is struggling with this edition. The KKR captain added that the side needs to learn as quickly as possible.
While KKR bowlers have shown steady improvement, Rahane admitted the batting group hasn’t pulled its weight.
‘The pitch was a little slow, but when we were bowling we thought something below 210 or 200 would be good. We need to bat better, especially in the middle overs. We need better opening starts, no complaints from our bowlers. Every game they’re improving’.
Rahane further admitted that the kind of fielding the side displayed also let the team down against the Titans. He said that fielding is something which was under their control and if they would have managed to save 15 to 20 runs, things would have ended up differently. Talking about the positive mindset, he said that all the boys have been working hard.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill was very pleased with his team’s effort, which saw them consolidate their top spot on the table. Gill led from the front with a scintillating 90 off 55 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award. In a total of 8 matches, Gujarat have won six while faced defeats in two games while the Knight Riders suffered their fifth loss in as many matches.
Gujarat Titans beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs on Monday to consolidate the top spot in Indian Premier League 2025. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
