Ajinkya Rahane opened up on KKR’s first loss of IPL 2025 against RCB.
RCB ended their two-season losing streak against KKR with a commanding win in IPL 2025 opener, as Rahane stressed on improvement while Hazlewood felt rejuvenated after injury.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally broke their two-year losing streak against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by securing a convincing victory at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Virat Kohli delivered a batting masterclass, guiding RCB to a successful chase and a strong start to their 2025 campaign.
Reflecting on KKR’s performance, Rahane admitted it was “hard to pinpoint certain things” after the team’s opening defeat. “This is the first game of the season. As a team, I thought, in a few areas, we did really well. There’s always scope for improvement, both as a team and as individuals,” he said during the post-match press conference.
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Rahane praised the RCB bowlers for applying pressure and picking up crucial wickets during the middle overs. “RCB bowled really well. In the first three overs, they kept it tight, but the real momentum shift came after the 13th-14th over when they picked up two or three crucial wickets,” Rahane explained.
“Every 2-3 years, players will change here and there. When you’re playing for a certain franchise and after one or two seasons you go and play for another franchise, you know their strengths, what kind of cricket they play,” Rahane said.
Rahane also highlighted Salt’s advantage of playing at Eden Gardens. “He’s been batting really well. I mean, last year for KKR, he had a brilliant season. So, he knows these conditions pretty well. Hats off to him. He backed it really well. So that’s the advantage all the players get. Whoever actually switched the franchise and when they play against each other, I mean, that’s the advantage they have,” he added.
Ajinkya Rahane To Look Into Team Contribution
When asked about his own performance, Rahane emphasized that individual scores matter less than contributing to the team’s success.
“For me, it’s all about contribution for the team and that’s what matters to me. Whatever runs I score, it’s always about the contribution. So, 56 in a winning cause would have been really nice, but it’s fine,” Rahane concluded.
