The defending Champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, started a new IPL campaign on a losing note at Eden Gardens. Despite being in the driving seat in the first 10 overs of the contest, the three-time winners allowed Royal Challengers Bengaluru to come back into the game. KKR had gone post-100-run mark in 10 overs and were looking at 220 runs in 20 overs, but the dismissal of captain Ajinkya Rahane ended their hopes of posting a winning total. The remaining batters couldn’t do much, and the team posted 174/8.
Rahane scored 56 runs off 31 balls, with the help of 6 fours and four sixes, and added 103 runs with Sunil Narine for the second wicket.
Narine was the second wicket to fall, and Ajinkya soon followed him to the dressing room. Sunil amassed 44 runs off 26 deliveries, including 5 fours and 3 sixes. Former India players Robin Uthappa and Suresh Raina felt Rahane’s departure was the match’s turning point.
“Ajinkay Rahane’s wicket was the match’s turning point as he was the second set batter to be dismissed. The two new batters were under pressure. KKR needed 220 runs to challenge RCB, but regular fall wickets put them under pressure,” Robith Uthappa said on Star Sports.
Suresh Raina shared a similar viewpoint. “KKR couldn’t recover after the dismissal of Ajinkya Rahane. Fall of wickets put Kolkata out of the contest,” he said.