There were always questions around Ajinkya Rahane—his leadership and his batting role in the Kolkata Knight Riders line-up heading into the season. The demands of T20 cricket have evolved significantly, with aggression and intent becoming non-negotiable traits, especially in the powerplay.
Rahane did show signs of adapting to that shift during his maiden season with Chennai Super Kings in 2023. He offered glimpses of that transformation during his first season with KKR last year as well. However, the issue of a sharp drop in strike rate post the powerplay persisted—a pattern that Mumbai Indians exploited with tactical bowling changes after his initial blitz against the new ball.
Rahane, though, was quick to put those questions to rest. Despite being confined to domestic cricket and out of India’s international reckoning, he has remained in strong T20 form. He was Mumbai’s highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 391 runs in 10 innings at an average of 48.87 and a strike rate of 161.57.
He carried that form into KKR’s season opener against Mumbai Indians on Sunday, racing to a half-century in just 27 balls. Alongside Finn Allen, he stitched a 69-run opening stand in just 35 deliveries. Rahane set the tone early, taking on Hardik Pandya for back-to-back sixes in the fourth over before asserting himself against Jasprit Bumrah with a boundary in the next.
Even after Shardul Thakur dismissed Allen in the final over of the powerplay, Rahane’s aggressive approach did not waver. He continued the onslaught, striking two boundaries in the same over to keep the momentum intact.
KKR piled up 78 runs in the powerplay, their highest in this phase against Mumbai in IPL history. Of those, Rahane contributed 36 off just 18 balls, striking at 200 against the new ball. Notably, he had displayed similar dominance last season, recording a powerplay strike rate of 187.40, only for it to dip drastically to 110.94 thereafter. On Sunday, that post-powerplay strike rate dropped to 140.9.
In the 22 deliveries he faced during the middle overs, Rahane managed 31 runs, with just one boundary—a six off spinner AM Ghazanfar. The slowdown was largely a result of Mumbai’s tactical shift to slower deliveries. KKR managed just 30 runs between overs 10.1 and 14, a phase that effectively stalled their momentum.
The shift began soon after the strategic timeout, with MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene seen in discussion with Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma. The execution that followed was precise. Bumrah conceded just five runs in the 12th over, while Trent Boult gave away eight in the next, steadily building pressure.
Rahane eventually succumbed in the 14th over, mistiming a fuller, cross-seam delivery from Thakur while attempting to clear the infield, with Hardik completing the catch.
The wicket offered Mumbai a brief opening, but Angkrish Raghuvanshi quickly shifted the momentum again, adding 60 runs off 30 balls with Rinku Singh, who remained unbeaten on 33 off 21 deliveries. Mumbai, however, regained control at the death, with Bumrah tightening the screws to ensure the damage did not escalate further, restricting KKR to 220 for four.
