Ajinkya Rahane addresses KKR's batting failures, blames openers for team's struggle: ‘You expect a good start…’
KKR made a change to their opening combination for GT match by resting Quinton de Kock for Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but that move didn't fare well.
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane criticised the openers for their continuous failures in the ongoing season as his team suffered another defeat against the Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens. Chasing a 199-run target, KKR struggled to get going, apart from Rahane, no other batters caused much of a problem for the Titans bowlers as the visitors won the match convincingly by 39 runs.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) and Sunil Narine (17) departed early in the powerplay, which put pressure on Ajinkya Rahane, who once again thrived and scored a fighting half-century off 36 balls. KKR did make a change to their opening combination for this match by resting Quinton de Kock for Gurbaz, but that move didn't fare well.
“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, we faltered with our batting,” Rahane told broadcasters after the match.
The middle-order also faltered against the Titans' spin attack as Venkatesh Iyer (14), Andre Russell (21) and Rinku Singh (17) once again failed to get going in the chase.
Rahane didn't shy away from admitting that it's the batting unit which has let them down as the bowlers did a fine job by restricting Titans under 200.
“We know these conditions really well, we need to bat properly, we need to bat well in the middle overs, 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 complains with our bowlers. Bowlers are doing really good job game after game,” he added.
The KKR skipper also addressed the underwhelming fielding standards KKR set during the Titans clash, as they dropped crucial catches to allow Titans batters to go big.
“Fielding is a part I always believe we can control as a team. If you can save 10-15 runs on the field. that's always better for the team. It's always about intent and attitude, you got to be switched on throughout the 20 overs,” he added.
‘I back them completely’: Rahane on middle-order batters
Despite the criticism, Rahane backed his struggling batting order and said they have quality and things will change for them in a matter of time.
“If you're not doing well, even if we get 1% better as a team, that's very important. As a batting unit, you got to be brave, take the chances and take the positive mindset. If you think about getting out, you'll get out. If you think about getting runs, it's always about that. I am sure our batters are thinking about it. It's just a matter of time, we've got quality batters in the middle order and I back them completely,” he concluded.
