Leading a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after only finding a taker at the accelerated round of the auction was unprecedented, until Ajinkya Rahane broke the jinx – the pun might’ve been intended – in the ongoing season. Having remained unsold on Day 1 of the November 2024 auction, he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for his base price of Rs 1.50 crore on the second day, and since then, has served as the franchise’s commander.
How has he commanded so far?
There are a couple of ways to analyse his performance. Individually, Rahane has been KKR’s most consistent performer with the bat in a side struggling for momentum. With 297 runs at an average of 37.12 and a strike rate of 149.24 in 10 games, he leads the team’s run charts.
Highest run-scorers for KKR in 2025:
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Ajinkya Rahane – 297
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Angkrish raghuvanshi – 241
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Sunil Narine – 178
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Quinton de Kock – 143
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Venkatesh Iyer – 142
Yet, from the team’s perspective, performances have been lukewarm. The most consistent team of IPL 2024 is languishing in seventh place in the standings, with 9 points in 10 matches.
No Pressure
Could the weight of expectations, which comes as a naturally occurring corollary to the tag of ‘defending champions,’ have had a role to play?
On being asked about it by The Quint during Star Sports Press Room for Race to Playoffs, KKR’s captain stated:
Not at all. There has been no pressure. Because whatever happened last year — yes, KKR won the championship — but that’s in the past. It’s important to start every season from scratch, and I firmly believe in that. It’s always about keeping things simple: try and give your best on the day, and aim to win the trophy.
Ajinkya rahane
With four matches remaining, KKR find themselves in must-win-them-all territory. They would, however, have had breathing space, had it not been for a few narrow defeats, especially a 4-run defeat to Lucknow Super Giants, or a rather horrific batting display against Punjab Kings, where they could not chase a target of 111 runs.
Ahead of the last lap, Rahane chooses not to dwell on missed opportunities, as he tells The Quint:
It is very easy to pinpoint and say ‘what if’ when you lose a close game — that’s always going to happen. When you’re on the losing side, you naturally start thinking about moments like the Punjab Kings game or the LSG game, how things could’ve been different. But that’s part and parcel of this tournament, of T20 cricket. For us, the key now is to learn from our mistakes, acknowledge the areas where we went wrong, but also take confidence from the things we’ve done well as a team. The focus for the next four games is to reduce our errors, play to our strengths and full potential, and aim to win all four. It’s as simple and important as that.
Ajinkya rahane
Captain Doing Well, Team Not So
Acknowledging the disparity in his and his team’s performances, he said:
From a personal point of view, I’m really enjoying it. From the team’s point of view, it’s been a little up and down. But I’m really happy with the kind of preparation and the hard work we’ve been putting in as a team. Sometimes things don’t go your way, and that can create setbacks — and that’s fine. But I think, as a team, we’re looking really good.
Ajinkya rahane
Not only has Rahane accumulated runs consistently, but he has done so at a fairly expedited pace, with his strike rate of 149.24 being the second-highest among KKR batters, with Narine boasting the highest figure (174.50).
Though, he believes he could have accelerated further, had it not been to adapt to situational requirements.
I started with a very good strike rate, but then I had to adapt because our batters were struggling to get runs. As a batsman, it’s important to adapt quickly to the situation and understand what the team needs from you at that point in time. I’m not fixated on playing at a 200 or 220 strike rate — that’s my natural game, I back my instincts. I’m an attacking player, I like to play my shots. But if the situation demands a strike rate of 130 or even 120, rotating strike, taking singles and doubles — I’m happy to do that. And if the team needs me to go at 180 or 200, I can do that as well. It’s all about reading the situation well, having that match awareness, and playing accordingly.
Ajinkya rahane
On Venkatesh Iyer & Rinku Singh
Nine of KKR’s starting XII members from the last season were retained by the franchise, either through the stipulated retentions or by acquiring them at the auction. One in particular came at a significant cost and is yet to justify his selection – Venkatesh Iyer, who was signed for Rs 23.75 crore, and has since scored merely 142 runs at an average of 20.28.
The skipper addressed the Venkatesh situation:
Every player goes through that phase where he’s trying his best but the results just don’t come. Venky is a quality player — we all know he’s done well for the franchise in the past and has won matches for the team. So it’s important, from the management and leadership group’s point of view, that we back him — just like we back every player. He’s been working really hard. People usually just look at the results and outcomes, but the hard work players put in behind the scenes is just as important. When it pays off, it looks great. When it doesn’t, questions start to come. But from my point of view, we are completely backing him. He’s just one innings away. We all know that. You never know — one good knock in the next four games and that could be a match-winning one from him.
Ajinkya rahane
On being asked about another vital cog of the KKR squad, Rinku Singh, who has not been at his best since his breakthrough 2023 season, Rahane opined:
Rinku’s role in this team is basically to be the finisher — and he’s done that really well in the past too. Yes, every batsman wants to bat higher up the order, but in a team environment, every player has a role. Right from the start of the season, when the coaching staff got together and the camp began, we spoke to him clearly about his role, and he’s been very comfortable with it.
Ajinkya rahane
One Step at a Time
Despite being a handsome distance shy of the top four currently, the Knight Riders are not all but out of the playoffs reckoning. What works in their favour is the scheduling, with their next three opponents being those who are occupying the last three positions in the standings – Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Ahead of the first of those clashes, against Rajasthan Royals on 4 May, Rahane explained his team’s approach:
As a team, we have to keep it really simple — take one game at a time. We don’t want to think about the past, though yes, we are looking to learn from every game we’ve played. But in this format, in the IPL, it’s always about being in the moment — giving your best on that particular day and trying to win that game. Every game is a knockout game for us, and we’re treating it that way. We won the game against Delhi Capitals, and now we’re playing RR. Our focus is completely on the RR game, and then we’ll think about the next three games after that.
Ajinkya rahane
(Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals will be shown live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network, from 3:30pm on 4 May).
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