Wicket was good, we didn't have game awareness - Rahane

Since the start of the 2024 season, the IPL has largely witnessed high scores, with new benchmarks being set. In that respect, the Punjab Kings-Kolkata Knight Riders game on Tuesday (April 15) was a throwback to T20 games of yesteryear, where there was a significantly greater contest between the bat and the ball. The game saw both teams being bowled out, that too inside 16 overs, but KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane didn't use the surface as a reason behind the loss.

Chasing a paltry target of 112, the defending champions were well on their way through the 55-run stand between Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. At 62/2 in the eighth over, the result seemed a foregone conclusion before Punjab's bowlers engineered a sensational collapse. KKR lost their last eight wickets for just 33 runs as the match saw a new record for the lowest successfully defended total in IPL history.

"The wicket was good. It was not an unplayable wicket or that something was wrong," said Rahane at the post-match press conference.

"The wicket was very good. The ball was coming a little late. But the bowlers did half of the work. Like you said, they were all out at 111. It was comparatively easy to chase at 112 on this wicket. We also got a good start. We got 50 in the Powerplay and at 70, I think we had 3 wickets. But again, it's a collective failure of the batting unit."

Often in run chases, the required run rate is a huge trigger for batting collapses. Ironically for KKR, that was never the issue in their innings. Needing well under run-a-ball at the start of the chase, KKR were at a position where they needed just 50 off the last 75 deliveries with eight wickets in hand. That's when the Rahane-Angkrish partnership was broken with the skipper's dismissal. Thereafter, the innings nosedived in a sensational fashion.

"Many times, it's not only about hitting sixes or playing big shots. Strike rotation is also very important. And I am sure that didn't happen with our batting unit. It's not like Punjab bowled extremely well. I think we played bad cricket as a batting unit. I take this responsibility as a captain, as we couldn't chase this down. But individually, I am sure all the players, especially the batters, will think about their own game and improve in the upcoming matches.

"Half of the tournament is over. Seven matches have been played. And half is still left. It's always about coming back with good intent but still look to learn and improve as a batter and take it on in the next game."

Yuzvendra Chahal (4-28) was the star for Punjab in their bowling effort while Glenn Maxwell's part-time offies were also very effective for the hosts. Marco Jansen's three-wicket haul was also a talking point, but the major twist in the game came through Punjab's spinners. Earlier on, KKR's spin twins Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy also had a great outing as they derailed PBKS's dangerous batting line-up.

In hindsight, playing Moeen Ali as the third spinner could have been a potent choice, given the amount of turn and bite in the surface. Instead, the visitors went with Anrich Nortje, who had a moderate outing in his first game of the season. When asked whether a third spinner in Moeen could have furthered KKR's advantage, Rahane gave a pragmatic reply.

"When we had a look at the pitch, we thought that we won't need three spinners. Fast bowlers can get help, and historically, I don't think more than two spinners have played on this ground. This was our tactical call, although Moeen Ali bowled very well in the last two games. We thought it would be better if Nortje came on this wicket and did well, bowled really well.

"If you look at it, it's our fast bowlers who took the wickets. They kept the pressure on them. If Moeen Ali played on this wicket, maybe he could have taken wickets, but we as a management felt that three pacers and two spinners was the way to go on this pitch."

Rahane was among the three KKR batters who managed to get into double digits. The skipper looked assured in his brief stay and his drama-filled dismissal was just the tonic PBKS needed to get back into the game. Rahane fell to a sweep shot against Chahal, trapped LBW, but replays showed that a review could have saved the batter as the impact was well outside off stump. Rahane did ponder briefly about the review, but with no clear input from Raghuvanshi, the KKR skipper opted to walk off.

"As a batter, I thought that I will save the review for later. Because it shouldn't happen that I take the review and then only one review is left. And the communication between the two batsmen was also not that clear. If someone comes and tells you clearly that the impact can be outside or missing, so as a batter, you take the review. But the communication between the batsmen was not that clear. I didn't take the review because of that.

"But again, no complaints. Apart from that, we did bad batting as a batting unit. And the result of that is why we lost the game today."

Given their high-flying template that was the talk of their title-winning campaign in 2024, KKR's intent has often seen its share of struggles against spin bowling. Even with the extreme lack of scoreboard pressure, their batters seemed all at sea in negotiating the chase and seemed to have just one gear to fall back on. Rahane insisted that his side weren't aiming for a net run rate boost, although some of the bizarre dismissals did suggest an air of ultra-aggression.

"Definitely, we were thinking about two points. What comes first is two points and then the net run rate. Till I was batting, it was sure that two points were important.

"As I said, it's not about hitting sixes or getting that net run rate up. It was not a flat wicket. It had something for the bowlers. We had to grind it out. Sometimes you will have to play a maiden over in T20, that's okay. Or play a strike rate of 70 or 80, that's fine.But I think just grind it out. It's all about rotating the strike as a batting unit. And T20, personally, I believe it's not only about hitting sixes. Though we are seeing at this moment, most of the players are going for big shots."They want to look good on the field while batting. It's not about that. It's all about reading the situation well, having that game awareness as a batter, as an individual. And then take the game forward. That's what I thought we lacked today."

The recurring question of Moeen's inclusion isn't an easy decision to make. With the Englishman's batting returns declining in recent years, it is his bowling that is of more value to KKR, particularly on turning pitches where the off-spinner's accuracy is a big plus. The southpaw does boast of spin-hitting prowess - a quality lacking in KKR's batting unit - but his dwindling batting form means that it can't be a major factor.

"Depending on the wicket, we can only play four foreigners, four overseas players. Moeen has been fantastic for us so far. It's very hard for me to tell him, Moeen, you're not playing today, though he did really well in the last game. But he's been understanding. He's played cricket enough everywhere. He understands the situation. He understands the team dynamics as well. So, good on him.

"He's always been a team man. So, I would love to have Moeen in the team. But again, depending on the situation and on the wicket, we will take a call."

Having won on a slow surface in Chepauk with ease, KKR would have fancied their chances of another crushing win in Mullanpur. Instead, they crashed and burned to a shocking defeat. Rahane dismissed talks of possible complacency as a reason behind the loss.

"Not really. See, all the boys, all the players, they're confident. They're confident enough. They are pretty experienced enough to handle all the situations. I wouldn't say we were complacent or we were overconfident. We didn't bat well. That was the truth.

"We didn't have that game awareness. The situation, what was demanded on that wicket to play. When we lost those three, four wickets, it was only about taking your time. Even singles, rotating the strike.That was important."