IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane lashes out at 'jealous' critics

KOLKATA: Has Ajinkya Rahane started feeling the heat after Kolkata Knight Riders suffered back-to-back defeats at the start of their campaign in this IPL? This is only the second time in the three-time champions’ history that they have had such a poor start to a season.


The KKR skipper, known to be calm and composed person, lashed out at critics following the team’s 65-run defeat to SRH on Thursday.



Rahane’s strike rate has come under the scanner since he came out to open, pushing KKR’s long-time belligerent opener Sunil Narine down the order. “I know what I’m doing, I know what I’ve done in the past and I back myself instead of thinking about what others are saying. Whoever is talking about it, let them talk,” he said when asked about the issue.

“I have the best strike rate so far, from 2023. People who are talking are probably not watching the game or have a certain agenda against me,” he added.

The 37-yearold Mumbai batter captained KKR last season too, scoring 390 runs from 13 matches at a strike rate of 147.73. He was Mumbai’s top run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, scoring 391 runs from 10 innings at a strike rate of 161.57.

“The amount of success which I got, I guess they are jealous of me. I am not too worried.

“You guys know what I am doing. People who are talking, either they don’t understand the game (or) I think they want me to play a different kind of innings. They didn’t expect that Ajinkya Rahane would improve his game this much. So I’m happy they are talking about me, negative or positive either way. Let them talk,” he said.

However, he admitted that KKR are yet to get their team combination right.

“Winning home games is really important and we just have to go back to the drawing board, just think about our combinations. The middle overs were the crucial time and we needed those partnerships from the set batters and that just didn’t happen,” he pointed out, hoping Australia n Cameron Green would start bowling soon.