'He was struggling with the ball': Ajinkya Rahane reveals reason behind KKR's 4-run defeat against LSG

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) succumbed to a narrow four-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 21st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, April 8. LSG batsman Nicholas Pooran was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' for his outstanding performance with the bat. He played a blistering innings, scoring an unbeaten 87 runs off just 36 deliveries, maintaining an impressive strike rate of 241.67.

While chasing a colossal target of 239, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane led from the front, playing a commendable innings of 61 runs off 35 balls. His knock included eight boundaries and two sixes. However, his valiant effort ultimately went in vain as he was dismissed by Shardul Thakur in the 13th over, leaving KKR to chase down the remaining runs without their set captain.

During the post-match presentation, Ajinkya Rahane acknowledged the closely contested nature of the game. He also commented on the pitch conditions at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, observing that the surface played consistently well throughout both innings.

“A really tight one (game). As I said at the toss, the wicket remained good throughout the 40 overs. We gave our best, it was a great game, in the end we were just 4 runs short. When you are chasing 230-plus, you will lose wickets in the chase,” Rahane said after the match.

Reflecting on the factors that contributed to Kolkata Knight Riders' loss against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens, captain Ajinkya Rahane pointed out that their spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, had an uncharacteristically difficult outing with the ball in the first innings. He expressed his disappointment with the overall performance of the bowling unit on the day.

“This was one of the best wickets to bat on. Batters had to take a little time to get in. The bowling attack we have, we control our middle-overs really well. Sunil (Narine) was struggling with the ball. Sunil and Varun usually dominate the middle overs, but it was tough for the bowlers today,” he added.

LSG will next face Gujarat Titans on April 12, while KKR will take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 11. With this win LSG shot to fourth in the IPL 2025 points table with three wins while KKR tumbled to sixth place with three losses.