Kolkata Knight Riders found themselves in trouble after a dominant powerplay in their IPL 2025 match against Delhi Capitals. Despite scoring 79 runs in the first six overs, the team quickly lost its grip on the match. Two key wickets¡ªSunil Narine and Ajinkya Rahane¡ªfell soon, shifting the momentum toward Delhi. At the end of 16.1 overs, KKR were 168/4, with Angkrish Raghuvanshi attempting to rebuild the innings.
Ajinkya Rahane looked in good form, until he was out scoring 26 off just 14 deliveries. He even timed a crisp boundary off Vipraj Nigam, flicking the ball to square-leg. But once again, spin proved to be his undoing. Axar Patel got one to angle back in; Rahane missed it, and was trapped LBW. The dismissal once again shed a light on the past struggles against spin¡ªtroubles that fans immediately recognised.
A user posted: "Ajinkya Rahane after another good start gets out to a spinner. His arch nemesis in International cricket were spinners and it continues."
This match was crucial for KKR to stay alive in the playoff race. While the start had fans excited, back-to-back wickets created panic. Narine fell LBW attempting a slog sweep, missing the ball entirely. Just a few balls later, Rahane joined him back in the dugout. Vipraj Nigam and Axar Patel played key roles in triggering the slide.
As one fan posted, "Back to back wickets for Delhi Capitals, now captain Ajinkya Rahane dismissed after scoring 26 runs in just 14 balls. Axar Patel got his 4th wicket of the season."
While his form in the initial overs showed promise, many viewers felt Rahane¡¯s impact was limited by his batting position. One user argued that he should be promoted to the top of the order.
"Ajinkya Rahane is wasted at no. 3. Play him as an opener. He will be so explosive..." wrote a fan, summing up a sentiment felt by several others online.
KKR¡¯s middle-order collapse and Rahane¡¯s familiar spin struggle reignite questions over strategy, timing, and batting roles.
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