Following a low-scoring thriller in which the defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lost by a slim margin of 16 runs to Punjab Kings, captain Ajinkya Rahane expressed his belief that the defeat was caused by both his team’s poor batting performance and the hosts’ outstanding bowling.

PBKS effectively bundled out KKR for 95 in 15.1 overs, defending a modest score of 111. The most impressive player was Yuzvendra Chahal, who returned figures of 4 for 28 in his four overs. With 3 for 17, Marco Jansen offered crucial help, while Arshdeep Singh and Glenn Maxwell each contributed one wicket.

“The wicket was a good one, even though the ball was stopping a bit,” the KKR skipper stated after the game. Half the work was done by our bowlers, who bundled them out for 111. After the start we had, chasing 112 on this wicket was rather simple. We didn’t bat as well; it wasn’t like Punjab Kings bowled really well.

In addition, the captain emphasized the game’s lessons learned and encouraged his squad to improve for their next game. “There are seven league stage matches left in the competition, which is halfway over. It always comes down to returning with the intention of learning and growing as a batter so that you can compete in the next game.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have won three of the tournament’s games so far in the league stage. Rahane maintained, nevertheless, that the hitting unit must learn to grind out outcomes in certain circumstances.

“It’s not about increasing the net run rate and hitting sixes every time. There was something for the bowlers; it wasn’t a flat pitch or a belter. We thus had to persevere. In T20 cricket, it’s acceptable to play at a strike rate of 70–80 or to sometimes play your maiden over. You must persevere, however.

Despite the fact that most players aim to find the big hits, T20 cricket is more than just hitting sixes. That isn’t the point; as a hitter, you need to analyze the situation, have game awareness, and then move the ball ahead. We didn’t have that today,” he said.

The skipper is certain that there is no space for complacency in this seasoned lineup with seven league games left for KKR. “Every player has the self-assurance and expertise to manage any circumstance. We weren’t, in my opinion, complacent or taking things for granted. We’re not doing that, in my opinion. We learned from that, he said, “even though we didn’t bat well and lacked the awareness to play as the situation called for.”