New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders just didn’t give the impression of a champion team, withering away with every passing game and eventually ending their campaign at a dismal eighth spot following a crushing 110-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Delhi.
The performance in the last league match summed up KKR’s title defence, which never really took off. It was always going to be an uphill task for the three-time champions, who came into the 18th edition without the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, who was released into the auction pool, despite leading the team to their third title in the cash-rich league.
The change of guard saw the appointment of Ajinkya Rahane as the team’s new skipper, but the veteran player failed miserably in his maiden campaign.
KKR’s batting woes: A breakdown of underperformance
Following the loss to SRH, Rahane revealed the reasons behind the limp season, pointing out that the underwhelming batting performances by star players like Rinku Singh and Andre Russell were the main reason for the defending champions’ dismal finish in IPL 2025.
Rahane, while praising the bowling unit for meeting expectations, lamented the failure of the batting line-up to perform consistently.
“It’s just that for us as a team, three-four guys were out of form. Where we faltered was at the batting end. As a batting unit, collectively, we couldn’t do well,” Rahane said during the post-match presser.
“Unfortunately, two-three players were going through that phase for us. And that was the reason we couldn’t do well…But again, they are pretty much experienced enough to handle this situation.
“I’m sure they will come back stronger next year…Rinku (Singh), Raman (Ramandeep Singh), all the players, they will learn from the mistakes and come back stronger.”
Analysing KKR’s IPL 2025 campaign
Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Rinku, and Ramandeep, who were all vital cogs in KKR’s 2024 title win, failed to replicate their form this season, hurting the team’s title defence.
Among the reasons behind KKR’s campaign was their inability to close out games. The defeat to Punjab Kings, while chasing just 112, and a narrow 4-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants while chasing 239 proved costly for the three-time champs.
The two rain-marred games also didn’t help their cause as KKR ended up with five wins from 14 matches.
“See, this season, I think for us, (it has been) kind of an up and down. We had our moments. We had our chances and I said that earlier also during those matches, as a unit, we didn’t play well, really well,” Rahane said.
“But again, this format, that’s how it goes, you know…the Punjab Kings game, LSG game and also the CSK game, I thought those two-three games could have been slightly different.
“It’s not easy when you win a championship and, you know, come into the next season, defending the championship, it’s not that easy. As a team, we tried our best. What I can say is, we’ll come back really stronger next year.”
Rahane also reacted to his own batting performances and admitted that the pressure of expectations may have affected his form. He also backed KKR star Venkatesh Iyer, who was re-signed by the franchise for a whopping Rs 23.75 (RTM) in the IPL 2024 mega-auction. Iyer endured a horrendous season, scoring just 142 runs and a fifty in 11 matches at a lowly average of 20.29. Rahane, however, expressed his faith in Iyer’s attitude and ability and backed him to come back stronger next season.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) endured a disappointing IPL 2025 season, finishing eighth after a crushing defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite a strong bowling unit, inconsistent batting and crucial losses proved costly, highlighting the challenges of defending a title. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back stronger next season. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
