Rahane Feels KKR 'Can Still Qualify' For IPL 2025 Playoffs Despite Loss To CSK
Ajinkya Rahane feels Kolkata Knight Riders can book their place in the IPL playoffs with 15 points and is choosing to be positive.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were pushed to the brink of elimination after the 2-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, as their hopes of making it to the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs hang by a thread.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, though, feels his side can still make it to the IPL 2025 playoffs, provided they win their last two league games – both away.
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“Yeah, I think on 15 points, we can still qualify. We still have to think positively. We have two games left — one against (Sunrisers) Hyderabad and then Bangalore (Royal Challengers Bengaluru). So, as a team, we have to be positive," Rahane said at the post-match press conference.
“Think about how we can win the next two games. I think as a team, we are playing very good cricket. This one didn’t go to our plan," he added.
When prodded if Vaibhav Arora leaking 30 runs in the 11th over was the game changer, he said:
“Vaibhav tried his best, I thought both of the batters – (Shivam) Dube and (Dewald) Brevis – were brave, they took their chances and that paid off."
“That can happen to any team, but I thought we still came back into the game really well, and we wanted to pick up wickets. After we picked up five wickets initially, they had a very good partnership. But after that, we knew that a couple of wickets would pull us back into the game, and that was the plan. And I thought as a bowling unit, we did that pretty well. So six balls, eight runs, MS Dhoni on strike, it’s tough sometimes."
Rahane, though, accepted that KKR were probably 10-15 runs short with their total after winning the toss and opting to bat first – something no KKR captain has done in exactly a decade.
“I thought they bowled really well. If you see (Matheesha) Pathirana’s two overs were crucial, six runs and then obviously closing that over really well," he said.
“Noor (Ahmad) and Pathirana, I thought, those four hours from them in the end were amazing. Credit to them as well. I don’t think our battles did anything wrong. I thought CSK bowlers were pretty accurate, and they executed their plans very well," he added.
KKR got off to a terrific start, sending back half the CSK’s batting order inside the powerplay.
Rahane felt the CSK lower order navigated the middle over from Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy masterfully, and that tilted the game in their favour.
“They didn’t take chances against Sunny and Varun, they waited for the other bowlers. Then, when Vaibhav came in, they took their chances and really paid them off. I personally think they didn’t do anything wrong. That one over one big was the difference," he said.
Hussey Backs Rahane’s Calls
CSK batting coach Michael Hussey found nothing wrong with Rahane’s tactics despite his side benefiting from the win.
“If I’m being honest, I thought Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy was first class," he said after the match.
Hussey said the KKR skipper was forced to bring on his best bowlers to try and combat the pair of Dube and Brevis and stop the way they were batting.
“I think he pulled all the right cards at the right time. I think he had to attack with his gun spinners at that time. If they had had another two or three overs of Brevis and Dube going the way they were going, then the game would be finished maybe three overs early," he said.
“But fortunately for us and unfortunately for them, it didn’t quite go their way," he added.
Hussey acknowledged that it was in their plans not to let the spin duo of KKR dominate the middle overs and force their opposition to make tough decisions.
“The batsmen knew they had to target the faster bowlers. They were going to be slightly easier to score off, and so that was certainly a plan going into the match. But to Brevis and Dube’s credit, I thought they played the spinners really nicely," he finished.
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