Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane played a master blaster knock in the IPL opener against MI, however, he could not guide KKR to their first victory this season. The player has now dealt another massive blow to the KKR fans.
Kolkata Knight Riders were the winners of their third IPL title in 2024, but failed to advance into a top-five finish in the next edition of the competition. They finished eighth in the points table with Ajinkya Rahane appointed as their captain following Shreyas Iyer’s departure.
KKR had one of their best-ever auctions under Abhishek Nayar. They made some quirky investments in Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, and Rachin Ravindra, who were bought for just pennies. On the other hand, they invested a massive amount of money in Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana, who they cited as futuristic stars of the format.
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Ajinkya Rahane opens up on injury after IPL opener
Kolkata Knight Riders have already been struggling with several injuries. Their entire pace deck has been ruled out due to injuries. Indian pacer Harshit Rana and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana are both currently not part of their squad. However, Pathirana is most likely to return to the IPL during the later stages of the tournament, as revealed by head coach Abhishek Nayar.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane opened the innings with Finn Allen, the NZ opener known for his dynamic style of smashing the ball out of the park. However, it was Rahane who put on a masterclass at his home ground in the Wankhede and scored a spectacular half-century. Rahane smacked the ball to all corners of the ground and was part of three crucial partnerships alongside Allen, Cam Green, and Angkriah Raghuvanshi.
The KKR skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, was seen struggling with some strain on the field during the Mumbai Indians’ batting innings. He then immediately left the field and never returned for the rest of the game. After the game, the skipper revealed that he faced some cramps and was seated out due to the discomfort.
The batter, however, remained positive on this occasion as well and claimed that hopefully he will be alright before the next game. “Hopefully I’ll be okay,” he said in the post-match conference.
Who will replace Ajinkya Rahane as captain in KKR?
Ajinkya Rahane is most likely to be back on the field for the next game, but in case his injury status accelerates, and he is not able to bounce back, KKR would have to keep replacements ready, especially for captaincy.
Manish Pandey or even Rahul Tripathi can be picked as the opener in the side alongside Finn Allen, or they could be slotted in the middle with Sunil Narine opening the innings. Hence, batting is not a major concern even in the absence of the veteran.
But what remains a major concern is the captaincy switch for KKR. In yesterday’s game, Rinku Singh was the on-field skipper in Rahane’s absence.
Why is Cameron Green not bowling for KKR?
Cameron Green, the big Australian all-rounder, was bought by KKR for a whopping INR 25.20 crores. They would have had high hopes from their massive investment; however, the Aussie, who came after a modest run in international cricket across formats, failed to impress in his first outing.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane looked frustrated as questions were building around Green not bowling enough recently. He simply put the blame on Cricket Australia when he was asked why Cam Green didn’t bowl a single over in the first game.
Cricket Australia seems to have laid some regulations on KKR, which suggests that the Australian all-rounder is managing a lower back injury and would not be considered to bowl his quota of overs over the first 10-12 days in the IPL.
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