IPL 2025, KKR vs RCB: Ajinkya Rahane said that he doesn't want to focus too much on negative things after Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a hefty seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday at the Eden Gardens.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00See, it's hard to pinpoint on certain things, you know, a few things.
00:03This is our first game of the season and the batting line-up or the team which we have,
00:09guys who like to go after ballers.
00:12So, again, this is, as I said, first game of the season.
00:14I don't want to pinpoint on certain things.
00:16As a team, I thought, you know, in a few areas we did really well.
00:21There's always areas we can improve as a team, as an individual.
00:25I thought RCB bowled really well.
00:27Power players, the first three overs, they bowled really well.
00:30But important was after 13, 14 overs, how they bowled and picked up wickets.
00:34Just crucial two, three wickets in between.
00:36That was the momentum changer.
00:39I don't want to focus on all the negative things or what has happened.
00:45Because guys who got out in the middle of us, they actually did well for us,
00:49for this franchisee, in the past.
00:51So I'm going to back them.
00:55They tried to play their game.
00:56Tonight didn't work out, but it's okay.
01:09I hope you all enjoyed my inning rather than me enjoying my batting.
01:13For me, it's all about contribution for the team.
01:16And that's what matters to me.
01:18Score, what runs on the board.
01:20I mean, whatever runs I score, it's always about the contribution.
01:24So, 56 in the winning thing would have been really nice.
01:30But it's fine.
01:42Not really.
01:42It's an achy match.
01:43Just one match is over.
01:46As I said, guys who are batting in the middle order, they are experienced.
01:51They are dangerous.
01:52They are explosive.
01:54You don't want to pinpoint on certain things or think too much about it right now.
02:00They have handled many situations like this.
02:03It's always about giving them that freedom and allow them to go out there and play their game.
02:08If that works out, it looks really good.
02:10That didn't work out today.
02:12It's okay.
02:12It's going to happen.
02:13This is a long tournament.
02:15As a team, we back each and every individual.
02:18And that is the goal.
02:23Jitendra Subhash from Red Sports.
02:26Even last season, this was a very debatable topic about the fact that Rinku Singh, Raman
02:30Deep and Russell, they are facing two lesser delegates like the last five overs.
02:35Do you think KKR this season will try to focus on giving them more relevancy, for example,
02:40Rinku Singh, who has had a phenomenal record in first-class cricket?
02:44Yes, I mean, Rinku has been batting really well for KKR and also for the Indian team,
02:50especially in this sort of format.
02:51He's been doing really well.
02:53The talks, as you mentioned, you know, sending Rinku up the order.
02:58Yes, we are thinking about it.
02:59But sometimes you've got to play with certain situations.
03:03And you have to see who's actually better in that particular situation.
03:07We thought Ankurish was the better option because we had around 10 to 11 overs when
03:15Ankurish went in.
03:16So the plan was to send Rinku.
03:18But we lost me and Venkatesh Iyer.
03:22We lost back to back.
03:23So Ankurish was on that time.
03:25But again, as I mentioned, Rinku has been batting really well.
03:28And you will see him, I know, bat up the order.
03:30Yeah, hi.
03:31My name is Imran from Ankur.
03:34We have really seen Ankur Russell bowl today.
03:37We have seen him in the last year that he has been bowling the ball as well as in this
03:42round.
03:42So any concern regarding Russell's fitness?
03:46No, not at all.
03:47No concern.
03:48Nothing.
03:49He's absolutely fit.
03:51You are not going to use all the weapons in one game.
03:56We have five frontline bowlers.
03:59They are wicket-takers.
04:00They are experienced.
04:01And they have also done well for the team.
04:04So you will see Ankur Russell bowl.
04:07But again, as a captain, it's not always about using all the weapons in one go.
04:12I'm here.
04:13Ajinkya Sresh from Cricket Info here.
04:15I have a general question about the IPL temperament.
04:19First, when players switch teams, they obviously know a lot about the opposition.
04:24Do you think when it comes to Phil Salt's batting crit and perhaps Suryansh's plan to
04:29Russell, do you think playing for the former franchise, this is something which does help
04:35when you change teams?
04:37This is the nature of this tournament.
04:39Every two, three years, players will change here and there.
04:43But the core remains the same.
04:46And when you are playing for a certain franchise, after one or two seasons, you go and play
04:51for another franchise.
04:52You know their strengths, what kind of cricket they play and what type of bowlers they have.
04:56So obviously, Phil Salt had that advantage.
04:59He's been batting really well.
05:00Last year for KKR, he had a brilliant season.
05:03So again, he knows these conditions pretty well.
05:06So hats off to him.
05:07He batted really well.
05:09So that's the advantage all the players get, whoever actually switched the franchise.
05:13And when they play against each other, I mean, that's the advantage they have.
05:16And a quick question about your decision of the opener.
05:19I mean, Ravan Ullah was the incumbent obviously last season.
05:22And he was in good form as well.
05:23Just the thought process on opting to go with the two left-hand openers with Dikhoff and
05:27Marag.
05:28And also, do you think that the fast-bowling department is slightly lacking at least the
05:32experience in KKR, which is very important?
05:35I would assume it's the staff not looking at it.
05:40See, it's about what combination we are looking at it.
05:43Quinton Dikhoff, in this format, he's been dangerous.
05:47I mean, worldwide, he has scored runs top of the order.
05:51Sunil, we all know he had a brilliant season.
05:53And he's been doing really well.
05:54Again, Gurbaaz is a fantastic player.
05:57You cannot play everyone.
05:58Only four overs he can play.
06:00We have to fit the combination in that manner.
06:04So I thought, we thought as a team, Quinton Dikhoff and Sunil Nareyan, again, can be a
06:11dangerous player, a dangerous opening pair.
06:14You saw Virat Kohli and Phil Salt batting top of the order, both right-handers.
06:18So that doesn't matter.
06:20And about inexperienced fast-bowling this season, according to you, because even if
06:24you're not here, you played Spencer, still relatively young.
06:27See, Spencer has been doing really well.
06:29I know he bowled really well.
06:30Whatever we have seen or whatever I have heard, he's been doing really well.
06:34Just one of those days.
06:36We don't need to panic or we don't need to think too much.
06:40It's a tough sport for fast bowlers, especially for the bowlers.
06:44They are trying hard.
06:44They are working hard.
06:45And for me, it's always about the control, the controllables.
06:49Again, guys who are sitting on the bench, they are equally good.
06:53But we have to actually see the combination, what combination we can go with.
06:57Last question.
07:00Gautam here from National Herald.
07:01Actually, it's a take-off from where he was coming from with the fast bowlers.
07:06Anyone who you have in mind as a kind of leader of that fast-bowling pack after Stark's departure?
07:13And then Spencer, Nokia, of course, he's outside.
07:17So what would be your choice as you move forward?
07:20So choice, I don't believe, you know, making too many changes for me.
07:25Onrik Nokia has been coming out of, coming from injury.
07:29I mean, he's been injured, I mean, unfortunately.
07:33It's a tough life for fast bowlers.
07:34Spencer has been doing well, as I mentioned.
07:36He's been bowling really well.
07:38Again, that left arm angle, it's a different thing.
07:41So we made sure that we have that, you know,
07:45guy who can bowl with left arm angle and with good pace.
07:49Harsit has been doing really well.
07:50He is a confident guy, you know, we all know.
07:53Vaibhav, again, did well.
07:55Youngster, again, he's learning from his mistakes.
07:57Again, I would love to see, you know, to back a player who has done well for the franchisee.
08:06He's learning from each and every game, each and every season.
08:08It's always about backing them and showing that trust and faith in them.
08:11So leader-wise, all three guys who played today, they are equally good.
08:17Again, just one of those off days they had, but again, I'm sure they will bounce back harder.
08:23Last one, Shom.
08:28Regarding controlling the control levels,
08:32what was your opinion about the pitch?
08:33Because historically, we have seen the pitch during IPL,
08:39really seen dry pitches at Keating Gardens,
08:41because we have always had a spin-reliant bowling attack.
08:46This was different today.
08:48So what was your opinion on it?
08:50Do you think that the pitch will obviously change in favour of the bowling stick?
08:55We would love to see that, you know, pitch helping our spin bowlers.
08:58But again, this wicket was undercover, you know.
09:02Last, what, one and a half days, undercover.
09:05There was a moisture a little bit when we started our batting, you know.
09:08Hazlewood, he used the condition really well.
09:12He bowled really well.
09:13Again, we would love to see some spin on this wicket.
09:16But again, no complaints.
09:17Both the spinners which we have, their quality,
09:21they can bowl on any kind of wicket,
09:22and I'm sure they are confident as well.
09:25So, but again, wicket was different, played different,
09:28because of, you know, it was undercover,
09:30it was raining yesterday, whole day it was raining.
09:33Thank you, everyone.