The IPL 2026 hasn’t gotten off to a good start for Ajinkya Rahane as his side Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) suffered back to back defeats. The KKR captain did not hold himself back after the loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, calling out the criticism for his batting.
The Knight Riders went down against Sunrisers by 65 runs as their batting unit failed to chase 227. Finn Allen (28 off 7) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (52 off 29) were the only two batters who threatened the opponents.
Rahane had a poor outing, scoring only 8 off 10 deliveries. Naturally, there was criticism for his batting, which he didn’t take kindly. Speaking after the match, he said that those who keep talking about him negatively have an agenda against him.
“I think I have one of the best strike rates so far from 2023. People who are talking about me (are) probably not watching the game or they have a certain agenda against me. They don’t like me playing. They don’t like to watch me play,” said Rahane.
The veteran India batter, who made 67 off 40 in the opening game against Mumbai Indians, doubled down on the critics, saying they are jealous of his success. He addressed the knock against SRH as a failure but believed his intent was there.
“The amount of success which I got, I guess they are jealous of me. I am not too worried. You guys know what I am doing. Just one bad innings…not a bad inning, but my intent was there. Sometimes as a batter, you don’t get that rhythm, you don’t get that flow. People who are talking, either they don’t understand the game (or) I think they want me to play a different kind of innings,” he added.
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When we look at the numbers, it is true that Ajinkya Rahane has been one of the best batters of the league in the powerplay. Since 2023, he has struck at 167.78 in the first six overs. It is the fourth highest strike rate among batters with minimum 300 balls.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane guides #KKR with a 27-ball fifty 🔥
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 29, 2026
His 3⃣4⃣ th in #TATAIPL 👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/JmJcgsoHQ7#KhelBindaas | #MIvKKR | @KKRiders | @ajinkyarahane88 pic.twitter.com/0dGna4kKBi
However, his numbers after the powerplay have been a cause of concern for KKR. During this same period, Rahane has scored at 130 after the field restrictions. If we check from 2024, the number drops down further to just 116.2. So the criticism is not completely unfair but it’s also not completely fair.
For Rahane, it doesn’t quite matter whether the talk around him is positive or negative. He is just happy that they are talking. “Let them talk,” he said.
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