Following their loss to SRH in the season’s final match, Ajinkya Rahane spoke out about KKR’s failure to defend their IPL title in 2025. Rahane admitted in the post-match press conference that KKR had a roller coaster ride in the 18th season of the league. He admitted that the 2024 champions did not perform adequately as a team and had to pay the price.
Rahane said that the nature of the T20 format meant that winning or losing close games might decide a team’s fate. The KKR captain believed that the team’s performances against PBKS, LSG, and CSK should have been improved.
“See, I believe this season has been up and down for us. We had our moments, we had our chances, and as I already stated, we did not play well as a team throughout those matches. But, you know, that’s how this format works. These are the factors that make a difference in close matches. And I believed the Kings XI Punjab, LSG, and CSK games may have been slightly different,” Rahane remarked in the post-match press conference.
We’ll be back even stronger next year: Ajinkya Rahane
The top hitter stated that the team gave their all in terms of preparation and execution. Rahane admitted that defending the title is difficult, but he anticipated that KKR would return strong in the league’s 19th season.
“But, as a captain, I thought, based on what I saw and felt, that everyone gave it their all in terms of preparation. It is not easy to win a championship and then defend it the next season. We gave it our all as a team. What I can promise is that we’ll be back even stronger next year,” Rahane continued.
KKR finished their IPL 2025 campaign with 5 wins and 7 losses in 14 matches, with a number of games going unfinished owing to weather interruptions. If LSG loses their final match of the season severely, KKR could finish seventh.
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