Ajinkya Rahane and Cameron Green (ANI)
Ajinkya Rahane had a tough night as KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) captain after his side succumbed to a loss by 6 wickets against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday. In front of a packed crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, the Mumbai Indians broke the jinx of not winning their first match of a season, with a stellar victory, with 5 balls to spare. KKR, who set up a steep total of 220 for 4 after being put to bat first, fell short due to their lackluster bowling, which gave away too many runs in the chase.
KKR also had all-rounder Cameron Green at their disposal, but not once he was introduced into the attack. The official broadcaster directed this query to Rahane, to which the skipper responded that the question should be asked to Cricket Australia.
“That question you need to ask Cricket Australia,” Ajinkya Rahane said.
Green, who was signed by KKR for a record Rs 25.20 crore, contributed a quick 18 off 10 balls with the bat, but didn’t deliver any overs.
Rahane said it was a tough match for KKR’s inexperienced bowling attack and also praised his own batting. He also highlighted Kartik Tyagi’s performance with the ball.
Rahane expressed hope that Green bowls will soon improve team balance, calling the game a learning experience with many positives.
“It was really tough [for bowlers]. Inexperienced bowling attack, but these boys will learn. Strong batting lineup. So it’s a learning curve. I thought MI batted well. So our bowlers will definitely learn. Really happy with the way I am batting in the moment. Hopefully Green starts to bowl soon and the combination will be slightly different. We batted really well but finding that balance with the ball is really important. We batted well and I thought Kartik Tyagi bowled well. Played after a while but he was really good. Lot of positives and long way to go,” Rahane said.
Rohit Sharma Reigns Supreme
Coming to the match, Mumbai chased down a formidable target of 221 to defeat KKR in the second match of IPL 2026. The chase required something special, and Mumbai’s openers delivered exactly that. Rohit Sharma (78 runs off 38 balls), along with Rickelton (81 runs off 41 balls), played a fantastic knock as they registered their biggest run-chase in IPL history and also won their first season-opener since the 2012 edition of the IPL.
Kartik Tyagi (1/43 in 4 overs), Sunil Narine (1/30 in 3 overs) and Vaibhav Arora (1/52 in 4 overs) were the only wicket-takers for KKR.
with inputs from agency
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