Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane spoke about how he ignores people who continuously criticize him. This came after he smashed 67 runs in 40 balls with 3 fours and 5 sixes in KKR’s IPL 2026 opening game against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 29 in Mumbai.
Rahane's and Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s (51) knocks helped KKR post a good total of 220/4 on the board. In response, MI openers Rohit Sharma (78) and Ryan Rickelton (81) set the tone for the chase with a 148-run partnership inside 12 overs. This helped MI chase the total in 19.1 overs, finishing on 224/4 and winning the game by 6 wickets.
Speaking to the media after the match, Rahane stated that he has nothing to prove to anyone and that he can continue to deliver at this level, but it’s a reflection of his own growth as a cricketer.
“Let people talk about me. They have been talking about me for 20 years now. Let them talk. I am really happy with the way I am batting at the moment. I am not here to show anyone how talented I am or what my game is. People are watching. Let them watch. "Let them talk," Rahane told reporters when asked if his 40-ball 67 was a statement, especially for those in Mumbai’s cricket circuit.
Rahane said he’s happy with his form in white-ball cricket.
“But I am really happy; in the last 2-3 years, in the white ball formats, with the way I have improved my game. It’s important to grow as a cricketer and as a batsman, and that’s what I am trying to do. People will keep talking and let them talk," the 37-year-old said.
Rahane limped off after KKR's unsuccessful defense of a 221-run target and said he was unhappy about having no control over the proceedings while watching from the dugout.
“I was just cramping. It’s a very bad feeling to sit outside with the cramps, and you don’t have any control when the bowlers are bowling; it’s a bad feeling, but first I’m really happy with the way I batted," he said.
Rahane credited MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah for his tight bowling in the death overs that prevented KKR from reaching their intended score.
“We all thought initially 220 (220/4) was a good total; we were on the path to get around 235-240, but those two overs from Bumrah made a lot of difference. You know why he’s such a great bowler," he said.
Rahane defended his inexperienced bowling attack and is hopeful that they will get better as the tournament progresses.
“With our bowling attack, the guys are really inexperienced. Vaibhav (Arora), who did well in the last year, is actually leading the attack, and then (we have) Karthik Tyagi and (Blessing) Muzarabani, though he has played international cricket, but the IPL experience is completely different," Rahane said.
“It is challenging because our bowlers are injured. But again, there is an opportunity for other players to show up and do really well and make a name for themselves. As I said, Karthik, Vaibhav, Muzarabani, and Saurabh (Dubey), we got Umran (Malik) as well. Navdeep Saini has been really impressive during practice sessions and matches. Unfortunately, Cameron Green cannot bowl at this moment. When he starts bowling, the combination will be slightly different," he added.
Rahane also talked about Varun Chakaravarthy, who went for 48 runs in four overs and failed to take a wicket.
“Every player goes through this phase. His (Varun) attitude is completely right; probably, opposition batters are playing him really well. Coming from a high-intensity tournament (T20 World Cup) to another high-intensity tournament, it is challenging for any cricketer mentally. My only thing is that he should not think too much about what is happening," he added.
(ANI inputs)
