Rahane Condemns ‘Collective Batting Failure’ as KL Knight Riders Suffer Devastating 8-Wicket Thrashing at MI Hands
Kolkata Knight Riders Crash and Burn against Mumbai Indians
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane pointed to a “collective batting failure” as the main reason for his team’s crushing 8-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. The defending champions were skittled out for 116, with debutant Ashwani Kumar’s impressive 4/24 wreaking havoc on the KKR batting line-up.
The docile pitch, which Rane mentioned would have been good for scoring 180-190, instead proved to be a death trap for the Knight Riders. Despite the ball offering decent bounce, the KKR batsmen struggled to use the pace and bounce to their advantage. Rahane lamented, “Sometimes you have to use the pace and bounce. We got to learn really fast from this game.” The team’s inability to consolidate runs, coupled with frequent wicket losses, left them limping to 41 for four in the powerplay.
Debutant Ashwani Kumar’s exploitation of the Knight Riders’ woes was nothing short of sensational. The young pacer accounted for notable wickets, including Rahane’s (11), Rinku Singh’s (17), and Manish Pandey’s (17), as well as the prized scalp of Andre Russell (5), to break the Knight Riders’ back. Deepak Chahar (2/19) and Trent Boult (1/23) made early inroads, setting the tone for a disastrous day in the office for KKR.
In a dismal display, the Knight Riders’ openers Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine fell inside the first two overs, leaving their team in a precarious position. Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 26 off 16 balls was the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal batting showcase.
Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, were untroubled in their chase, with Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 62 powering them to a 12.5-overs win. The victory was yet another blow to the Knight Riders’ faltering campaign, leaving them in a tough spot to salvage their season.
The KKR defeat marked a notable milestone for Ashwani Kumar, who became the first Indian to claim four wickets in his maiden IPL outing.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/ipl/ajinkya-rahane-collective-batting-failure-mi-vs-kkr-9916811/
Category : IPL 2025,Sports
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Publish Date: 2025-03-31 22:53:00
