KKR vs SRH: 'They are jealous of my success'—Rahane lashes out at critics after defeat; why did the KKR captain lose his cool?

On Thursday, an IPL 2026 match was played at Eden Gardens between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). KKR suffered a 65-run defeat in this match. Captain Rahane failed to fire with the bat in this game; he was dismissed after scoring just eight runs off 10 balls. Critics raised questions regarding Rahane's strike rate—questions to which he provided a response after the match.

Rahane stated: "I have complete faith in myself."

Rahane remarked, "My strike rate has been at its best since 2023. The people who are talking are perhaps not watching the matches, or they harbor a specific agenda against me. They simply do not like my playing style; they do not enjoy watching me play. I feel they are envious of the success I have achieved. I am not particularly bothered by it. My intent remained the same. Sometimes, as a batsman, you just can't find your rhythm. Those who are criticizing either do not understand the game or expect me to play a different kind of innings. They simply did not anticipate that Ajinkya Rahane would improve his game to this extent."

The KKR captain added, "I am happy that they are talking about me—whether the comments are positive or negative. Let them talk. I know exactly what I am doing. I know what I have accomplished in the past. Rather than dwelling on what others say, I place my trust in myself. Whoever wishes to talk about this matter—let them talk."

KKR suffers its second consecutive defeat

Since the conclusion of IPL 2023, among Indian batsmen, only Abhishek (176.56) has maintained a better strike rate than Rahane (167.78) during the Powerplay overs. The issue for Rahane, however, is that his strike rate tends to drop significantly after the Powerplay—and it is precisely this aspect of his game that draws criticism. Rahane, who scored 67 runs off 40 balls in the season's opening match against Mumbai Indians, failed to fire against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the team suffered its second consecutive defeat. Chasing a target of 227 runs, KKR was restricted to 161 runs in 16 overs.