'That Was The Momentum Changer' - Rahane Pinpoints Reason For KKR's Loss To RCB

In the opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champions, were crushed at home by new-look Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by seven wickets and with 22 balls to spare in what turned out to be a one-sided affair. KKR’s new captain, Ajinkya Rahane, pinpointed the exact reason when his team fell behind in the game. 

"I thought RCB bowled really well in the powerplay, but what was important was how they picked up wickets in the 13th and 14th overs [13th to 16th - they went from 125 for 3 to 150 for 6]. That was the momentum-changer,” Rahane said in the post-match press conference on March 22 (Saturday). 

However, after pointing out the fault where Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Andre Russell, the three biggest batters in the KKR set-up, failed to counter the spin of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, Rahane was also quick to back them up.

“I don't focus on all the negative things because this side has players who have done very well for this franchise in the past. So I'm going to back them. In the game tonight it didn't work out, but it's okay,” the 36-year-old said. 

In the aftermath of the humiliating loss, where KKR could score only 64 runs in the last 58 balls and lost six wickets in their winnings, the non-inclusion of Afghan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz in playing 11 was also a topic of hot debate.

Answering why the out-of-form Quinton de Kock was picked over the Afghan, given the fact that both him and Sunil Narine, his opening partner, are lefties, while Gurbaz is a right-handed batter, Rahane said, "We have to fit the combination in that manner. So we thought as a team that the pair of Quinton and Sunil opening can be dangerous.”

“You saw Phil Salt and Virat Kohli at the top of the order, two right-handers, so that [not following a left-right opening combination] doesn't matter,” he added. 

Rahane himself was the biggest positive for KKR in what was a match to forget as a season opener. The Mumbai-born, though, would have been happy if his runs came in a winning cause. Rahane scored 56 off 31 balls at a strike rate of 180. 

"For me, it's all about contributing to the team and that's what matters to me. Whatever runs I score, it's always about the contribution. An innings of 56 on the winning side would have been really nice,” he said.