Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that their three-wicket defeat to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League 2026 is a really tough one to take, as they slumped to another close defeat at Eden Gardens on Thursday.
Coming to bat first, KKR posted a competitive 181/4 in 20 overs, thanks to solid contributions from Rahane (41), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45), and an unbeaten 39 from Rovman Powell. The total looked challenging on a slow surface, especially after KKR pulled things back in the middle overs.
However, LSG chased down the target in dramatic fashion, with Mukul Chaudhary smashing an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls and sharing a crucial partnership after Ayush Badoni had earlier anchored the innings. “Tough one to take, but really proud of the boys for the way we played. Mukul's knock was defining,” Rahane said after the match, praising Mukul Choudhary for his match-winning effort.
Reflecting on the final overs, where the team lost the plot, Rahane said, “The execution here and there can happen in the last two overs, but credit to Mukul for that partnership. For them, it was nothing to lose, two overs, 30 runs, so it was all about swinging hard every ball.”
He acknowledged that, despite some good deliveries, Mukul’s aggressive approach turned the game. “A couple of balls were good balls, but he batted brilliantly,” Rahane added. Rahane also pointed out that defending the total was not straightforward given the conditions.
“180 odd on this wicket wasn’t easy. Let’s give credit to the batter for the way he batted,” he said. The KKR captain revealed the team’s strategy in the final over as well. “Intention was to keep Avesh Khan on strike. We had to field five fielders up, and it’s tough on the bowlers,” he explained.
Despite the defeat, Rahane remained positive about his side’s effort, while admitting that small margins made the difference in the end. With this loss, KKR are yet to win a match this season. They will now face five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 14.