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KKR's Thrilling Win! Rahane Hails Rinku, Varun After First Victory

The Kolkata Knight Riders secured their first win of the season in a nail-biting four-wicket victory over the Rajasthan Royals. A brilliant seventh-wicket partnership between Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy rescued KKR from a precarious 85/6 to chase down 156. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane dedicated the win to the fans and praised the performances of Rinku, Varun Chakravarthy, and Anukul Roy. While happy with the result, Rahane acknowledged there is still room for batting improvement for the team.

Key Points: KKR's First Win: Rahane on Rinku Singh, Strike Rate & Improvement

  • KKR ends losing streak with 4-wicket win
  • Rinku Singh's unbeaten 53 guides tense chase
  • Varun & Kartik take three wickets each
  • Rahane sees room for batting improvement
2 min read

"There is still room for improvement": KKR skipper Rahane after sealing first win of season

KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane dedicates win to fans, praises Rinku Singh & Varun Chakravarthy after a tense chase against RR. Get match highlights.

"Sometimes I feel strike-rate is overrated. Take the game deep, and we saw what happened today. - Ajinkya Rahane"

Kolkata, April 19

Following his side's win over the Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane dedicated the win to the team's fans and hailed Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Anukul Roy for their standout performances.

After six games of misery and heartbreak, destiny finally smiled at KKR, who secured a four-wicket win over RR from the jaws of defeat at Kolkata on Sunday. After a fine bowling display by KKR, powered by three-fers from Varun (3/14) and Kartik (3/22), RR could only reach 155/9, despite an 81-run stand between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (46 in 28 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (39 in 29 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes). In reply, KKR made a mess of a simple chase and sank to 85/6, but the seventh wicket stand between Rinku (53* in 34 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and Anukul Roy (29* in 16 balls, with a four and two sixes) took KKR to a win with two balls left.

Following KKR's win, Rahane said, "Feels really good. There were a lot of emotions. I am really happy for Rinku, Anukul Roy and Varun. Really happy with how both of them batted in that partnership. I like to have one-on-one conversations. It is about reading the situations well. This victory will give confidence. Batting-wise, there's still room for improvement."

On three-fer hero Kartik, he said that the young bowler has clarity about his ability.

"He is still young, and he has been amazing. Very happy to see him getting that confidence. The pace at which he is bowling is amazing. There is a lot to learn from every game. That is where the cricketing awareness comes," he added.

Regarding all the strike rate chatter around his team and particularly him, Rahane said, "Sometimes I feel strike-rate is overrated. Take the game deep, and we saw what happened today. This was a great escape for us. We need to reflect and learn. As a team, we have to come together and have clear communication. The atmosphere in the dressing room has been amazing. The fans have been fantastic; this victory belongs to them. Very positive, you get that positive vibe," he signed off.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
So happy for the team and the fans! Eden Gardens was electric. Varun Chakravarthy was brilliant with the ball, and Rinku... just wow! But I have to respectfully disagree with Rahane on strike rate. In modern T20, intent from the start is crucial. We got lucky today.
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Vikram M
Great escape, but the batting collapse was worrying. 85/6 chasing 156? That's not acceptable for a team with such big names. Rahane's calm leadership helped, but the batters need to show more responsibility. Onwards and upwards from here, hopefully!
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Sarah B
As a neutral fan, that was a thrilling match! Rinku Singh played a gem of an innings. It's good to see young Indian talent like him and Anukul Roy shining under pressure. The IPL is just the best platform for this.
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Rohit P
Bowling was top-class. Varun and that young guy Kartik were fantastic. Batting... well, we need to talk about it. But a win is a win! This should boost the team's morale big time. Jai Ho KKR! 💜
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Nikhil C
Rahane saying strike rate is overrated is a very traditional mindset. It worked today, but in most games, a slow start puts too much pressure on the lower order. Hope the think tank encourages more positive batting.

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