Ajinkya Rahane in press conference© Bcci/Sportzpics
Busy with the Kolkata Knight Riders Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign, captain Ajinkya Rahane was destroyed when his Mumbai partner Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket. Rohit’s decision came when Rahan was preparing for KKR’s league clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Talking to the media after the game, Rahane came to know about leaving Rohit’s decision, and KKR Skipper accepted being “surprised”. Rahane did not believe that he was listening to such news and he said that he would give Rohit a call after coming back to the dressing room once.
“Oh is it?” Rahane said that when Rohit’s test was informed about retirement. “I didn’t know. I’m really surprised. I was playing a game, so I didn’t know. But I just wanted to wish him.”
“He started at number 5 or 6 in the middle order and then opened the innings. The way he had adapted was amazing. He always looked at the bowlers to take and play with freedom – this is something she wanted to do to others.”
“I probably call her after coming back to the dressing room or sending him a message,” Rahane said. “But I definitely want to congratulate him for a great Test career.”
For the match, Rahane’s KKR faced a narrow defeat against CSK, especially the way Developed Bravis and Shivam Dube made a highly valuable partnership in the middle.
“It was really difficult (to swallow and lose the bullet),” Rahane said after the match. “We were 10–15 small, 185–195 would have been an ideal total on this pitch.”
“Of course. In this format, one over may change the speed. They (Brevis and Dube) took their opportunities, and paid it. It is all about being brave, and they were really brave.”
Along with defeat, KKR’s playoff qualification opportunities have also become rock bottom hits. Although the team is still mathematically in the race, Rahane is thinking about winning only the remaining two games and then seeing what happens. “Try to win two of the two, and then see what happens from there,” he said.
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