Rahane recently launched a fiery defense of his batting approach and strike rate.
Rahane has registered scores of 67 (40 balls), 8 (10 balls) and 8* (6 balls) in KKR’s three outings against Mumbai Indians (MI), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), respectively.
After the SRH game, Rahane dismissed concerns regarding his scoring pace, claiming he has had "one of the best strike rates" since 2023 and those criticizing him likely have a "certain agenda".
"My strike rate I think I have one of the best strike-rates so far. I think people who are talking about me are probably not watching the game or they have certain agendas against me. They don't like me playing, they don't like to watch me play," Rahane said in the post-match presser.
He attributed the negative feedback to jealousy over his past success. "The amount of success I've had, I guess they are jealous of me. I'm not too worried. You guys know what I'm doing. Just one bad innings - well, not a bad innings - but my intent was there. Sometimes as a batter you don't get that rhythm, you don't get that flow. People who are talking either don't understand the game or want me to play a different kind of innings," Rahane added.
Now, Ajinkya Rahane has received backing from Doull, who suggested the batter’s frustration with critics was valid. The former Kiwi pacer also pointed out that Rahane’s recent stats are actually superior to MI stalwart Rohit Sharma.
“His numbers in the last four years have not been that bad. He averages 30 and strikes at 148 over 30-odd games. People are talking about dropping him. It’s a better record than what Rohit has got in the last four years. It’s an equal record to Ishan Kishan in the last four years. You are not talking about dropping any of those blokes. Hence his frustration. But it comes down to the pressure from a captaincy point of view,” Doull said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
Doull argued that the current scrutiny of Rahane follows a difficult IPL 2025 campaign where KKR finished eighth in the standings with only five wins from 14 matches. This disappointing run occurred just one year after the franchise clinched their third IPL title under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer.
“The criticism came with them finishing eighth last year and having a bad start this year. He is frustrated because they don’t have the tools in the toolbox. They are not doing their job and are not playing well as a group. It’s not all his fault,” Doull remarked.
Ajinkya Rahane will next lead KKR against Lucknow Super Giants at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on April 9.