Rahane on KKR Loss: 'Batters Failed Us All Season'
May 26, 2025 - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane admitted on Sunday, May 25, that while his team's bowling was good in IPL 2025, the batting performance was very poor.
After a big 110-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rahane said, “This season was full of ups and downs for us. We had chances, but we didn’t play well as a team. Winning close matches makes a big difference.”
He added, “The matches against Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings were different. As a captain, I saw that everyone tried their best. It’s never easy to play as defending champions because the expectations are very high.”
No Pressure on Iyer
The KKR captain also defended Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought by KKR for Rs 23.75 crore and made the team's vice-captain. Iyer had a poor season, scoring only 142 runs in 11 matches.
Rahane said, “Whether a player is bought for Rs 20 crore or Rs 2 crore, it does not change how he behaves on the field. I didn’t feel that price pressure affected Iyer.”
Rahane further said, “Iyer was focused on the right things. He trained hard, stayed committed during matches, and tried to contribute. His attitude was great. Any player can have a bad season. It’s not about the money, it’s about form and team balance. Unfortunately, three to four of our key players were out of form at the same time, and that affected our results.”
'Batters Must Learn'
Rahane, who was KKR’s top scorer in IPL 2025 with 390 runs in 13 matches, admitted that pressure builds up after a few good seasons.
“Sometimes after doing well, you start expecting more from yourself, and this creates pressure. That’s natural. When you do well, people expect more, and you try to prove yourself instead of just playing your natural game,” Rahane said.
He added, “Two or three of our batters were going through a tough time. We all need to learn from this.”
Hopes on Rinku and Ramandeep
Rahane also expressed hope that Rinku Singh and Ramandeep will soon return to form. He said that KKR batters would learn from their mistakes.
“All I can say is that we tried our best and we will definitely come back stronger next year,” the cricketer summed up.