KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane admitted that the team’s batting collapse was the primary reason for their defeat against Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2025 clash at Wankhede.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Rahane pointed out that KKR failed to build partnerships and lost too many early wickets, making it impossible to post a competitive total.
🗣️ Rahane’s key statements:
💬 “Collective batting failure. It was a good wicket to bat on, as I mentioned at the toss. 180-190 would have been a good score, but we kept losing wickets early.”
💬 “Four wickets in the powerplay made it difficult to recover. You need one batter to stay till the end and build a partnership, but we couldn’t do that.”
💬 “Our bowlers tried their best, but with such a low total, there wasn’t much they could do.”
MI’s Ashwani Kumar Shines on Debut, KKR Crumble to 116
The star of the match was MI left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar, who took 4/21 on his IPL debut, becoming the first Indian bowler to take a four-wicket haul on debut in the league’s history.
🟢 Key moments from KKR’s innings:
🔹 KKR lost 4 wickets inside the powerplay.
🔹 No solid partnerships, with wickets falling at regular intervals.
🔹 Only Andre Russell (2/27) made an impact in the second innings, dismissing Rohit Sharma and Will Jacks.
MI’s Dominant Chase: Ryan Rickelton Smashes 62 Off 41 Balls*
In response, MI made easy work of the chase, reaching 117 in just 12.3 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton played a match-winning knock of 62 off 41 balls*, smashing 4 fours and 5 sixes.
🚀 MI’s chase highlights:
✅ Rickelton’s aggressive stroke play set the tone.
✅ KKR bowlers struggled, except for Russell (2/27).
✅ MI completed the chase with 48 balls to spare.
What’s Next for KKR?
KKR will need to quickly address their batting issues before their next game. Rahane emphasized the need to learn from this loss and improve their powerplay approach.
🟣 Next Match: Kolkata Knight Riders will look to bounce back in their upcoming fixture.
👉 Do you think KKR should make changes to their batting lineup? Who should step up in the next game? 💬